A Single Neuron May Cary Up To 1000 Genetic Mutations
A single neuron in a normal adult brain likely has more than a thousand genetic mutations that are not present in the cells that surround it, according to new research from Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) scientists. The majority of these mutations appear to arise while genes are in active use, after brain development is complete.
Image: Researchers found that every neuron’s genome was unique. Each had more than 1,000 point mutations (mutations that alter a single letter of the genetic code), and only a few mutations appeared in more than one cell. What’s more, the nature of the variation was not quite what the scientists had expected.
PR:
https://www.hhmi.org/news/study-examines-scale-gene-mutations-human-neurons
Paper:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6256/94.abstract
#neuroscience #neurons #research
It's like every cell has its own MAC address...
ReplyDeleteThat would follow. They don't die or reproduce*, so they'd have the most time to accumulate mutations, and little incentive to develop resistance to doing so.
ReplyDelete* Except via relatively circuitous methods, by cell standards.
Im very injoyed your photo
ReplyDelete