The mammoth has lost nearly a hundred genes during the evolutionary process

A new study showed that 87 genes were affected during the evolution of the mammoth. Researchers pointed out that the study will have an international impact on the resurrection of extinction species including Mengxiang. Recently, researchers at the Stockholm Ancient Genetics Center published the study in Science. The Costor Mermia Center is a cooperation agency at the University of Stockholm and the Swedish Nature History Museum.

At present, one of the methods of "resurrected" extinction species that have been discussed the most is the use of genome editing technology, such as CRISPR-CAS9. This technology inserts key gene variants of extinction species into its living relatives. However, the results of this new study show that when rebuilding the genome of extinction species, people may also need to delete certain genes to retain their important biological characteristics.

Image introduction: Mammoth ivory is in the permanent frozen soil on Frangel Island. Picture source: Love Dalén/University of Stockholm

"LOVE Dalén), a professor of evolutionary genome at the ancient genetic center, said:" Edit a living species genomic group to "resurrect" a genome of an extinct species is not an easy task, and these new new The discovery explains the complexity and difficulties of future research. "

The researchers behind this study sequen the two new Siberian mammoth genomes in the last Glacier era, and these genomes are carried out with the total 33 genome of the aggressive elephant, Asian and African elephants that have been sequensed. Compare.

The lack of genes, that is, a part of a gene, will seriously affect the function of species. Similarly, short -term insertion of genes can lead to mutations in the framework conversion, which makes the gene from read. The results of the study showed that there were thousands of gene lack and short -term insertion in the genome of the entire mammoth. Overall, researchers found that most of the genetic changes were eliminated due to negative impact on the survivability of mammoth elephants.

"However, we did find 84 genes affected by the genome deletion, and 3 genes were affected by short -term insertion. Tom van der Valk, a researcher at the Poto Genesis Center, said:" These structural changes are likely to have a significant impact on the functions of these genes and may cause a different adaptability characteristics to form a different adaptability. "

The functional changes of these 87 genes may be important for the evolution of mammoth elephants and the cold environment that adapt to the north. Many adaptive characteristics, such as body size and cold resistance, are adjusted by several different genes. Therefore, some of these genes do affect the development of these adaptive characteristics.

Marianne Dehasque, a Ph.D. in the Mamma Genome of the Potoena Center, said: "Several influential genes are related to the classic traits of long hair elephants, such as the growth of fur and hair shape, fat deposits, and bones Form and ear shape. "

For the original text: Nearly A Hundred Genes Have Been Lost During the Woolly Mammoth's Evolution (Phys.org)

Translator: Xu Lingzi

Review: SARA

Edit: Pierre

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