Genetic based human diseases are an ancient evolution... (-cellular organisms as well as at the ti...)

Genetic based human diseases are an ancient evolutionary legacy

Date:10/16/2008

-cellular organisms, as well as at the time of origin of bony fishes about 400 million years ago. Surprisingly, they found almost no disease associated genes among those that emerged after the origin of mammals.

These findings suggest that genetic diseases affected primarily ancient cellular processes, which emerged already during the early stages of life on Earth. This leads to the conclusion that all living organisms today, i.e. not only humans, will be affected by similar genetic diseases. Furthermore, this implies that genetically caused diseases will never be beaten completely, because they are linked to ancient evolutionary processes.

Although it was already known that many disease associated genes occur also in other organisms distant to humans, such as the fruitfly Drosophila or the round worm Caenorhabditis, the analysis of Domazet-Loo and Tautz shows now for the first time that this is systematically true for the vast majority of these genes. At present it remains unknown why the more recently evolved genes, for example those involved in the emergence of the mammals, do not tend to cause diseases when mutated.

The research results of the scientists from Pln also have some practical consequences. It will now be easier to identify candidates for further disease genes, in particular for those involved in multi-factorial diseases. Furthermore, the results confirm that the functional knowledge gained about such genes from remote model organisms is also relevant for understanding the genes in humans.

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Contact: Professor Dr. Diethard Tautz
tautz@evolbio.mpg.de
49-452-276-3390
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Source:Eurekalert

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Genetic based human diseases are an ancient evolution...(-cellular organisms as well as at the ti...)