Mammalian genes can combine to make previously unknown mRNAs and proteins
For decades, scientists have understood that each of the roughly 20,000 genes in the human body carries instructions for a single kind of protein. Now, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered that instructions from different genes—even those on different chromosomes—can combine to create chimeric mRNAs that produce previously unknown, functional proteins.
Scientists have discovered that genes from different parts of the human genome can combine to create new, functional proteins. This discovery, published in Nature, suggests that there may be thousands of previously unknown chimeric proteins in the body. The researchers used a new technology called direct RNA sequencing to identify more than 30,000 chimeric mRNAs in mammalian cells.
These chimeric proteins could play important roles in various biological processes and may contribute to understanding diseases that are currently poorly understood. The team found that the chimeric GSDMD-TMEM106A protein, which combines two genes, is vital for the immune response in mice. Without this chimeric protein, mice had a slower immune response and were less able to fight off bacterial infections.
The discovery of these chimeric proteins opens up new possibilities for drug discovery and medicine.
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