HGT & Epigenetic Histone modifications challenges NeoDarwinism


The article "Horizontally Transferred DNA in the Genome of the Fungus Pyricularia oryzae is Associated With Repressive Histone Modifications" provides Challenges to Neo Darwinism.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the process of transferring genetic material between organisms without the need for sexual reproduction. NeoDarwinism is dependent  on vertical inheritance. HGT is a common phenomenon in bacteria and archaea, but it is also known to occur in eukaryotes, including fungi.

The fungus Pyricularia oryzae is a plant pathogen that causes rice blast disease. Rice blast is one of the most important diseases of rice, and it can cause significant yield losses.

The study published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution found that HGT-derived DNA in the genome of P. oryzae is associated with repressive histone modifications. Repressive histone modifications are chemical modifications to histones that can turn genes off. They do not change DNA sequences like NeoDarwinism.

The study's findings suggest that HGT-derived DNA in P. oryzae is silenced by epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic mechanisms are changes in gene expression that are not caused by changes in the DNA sequence itself.

The study's findings also challenge the neo darwinian view of evolution. Neo Darwinism is a waining theory of evolution, and it states that evolution is driven by natural selection acting on random mutations.

Challenges to Neo Darwinism

The neo darwinian view of evolution has been challenged by a number of findings in recent years, including the discovery of HGT and epigenetic mechanisms.

HGT is a major challenge to neo darwinism because it allows organisms to acquire new genes without having to wait for random mutations to occur. This means that organisms can evolve new traits much more quickly than would be possible under natural selection alone.

Epigenetic mechanisms are also a challenge to neo darwinism because they allow organisms to transmit traits to their offspring that are not encoded in the DNA sequence. This means that evolution can occur even if there are no changes in the underlying DNA sequence.

The study on HGT-derived DNA in P. oryzae provides further evidence that neo darwinism is not an adequate explanation for all aspects of evolution. The study's findings suggest that epigenetic mechanisms can play a role in the domestication of HGT-derived genes.

Domestication of HGT-derived genes

The domestication of HGT-derived genes is the process by which HGT-derived genes become integrated into the host genome and become subject to the host's regulatory mechanisms. The domestication of HGT-derived genes is important because it allows organisms to acquire new genes and traits from other organisms.

The study on HGT-derived DNA in P. oryzae found that HGT-derived genes in P. oryzae are often associated with repressive histone modifications. This suggests that epigenetic mechanisms play a role in the domestication of HGT-derived genes in P. oryzae.

One possible explanation for this is that repressive histone modifications help to prevent the expression of HGT-derived genes that could be harmful to the host. For example, HGT-derived genes could code for toxins or other harmful proteins.

Another possible explanation is that repressive histone modifications help to integrate HGT-derived genes into the host's regulatory network. This would allow the host to control the expression of HGT-derived genes in the same way that it controls the expression of its own genes.

Conclusion

The study on HGT-derived DNA in P. oryzae provides further evidence that epigenetic mechanisms can play a role in evolution. The study's findings also challenge the neo darwinian view of evolution, which does not account for the role of HGT or epigenetics.

Challenges to Neo Darwinism in the context of Horizontally Transferred DNA in the Genome of the FungusPyricularia oryzae

The study on HGT-derived DNA in P. oryzae challenges neo darwinism in a number of ways:

  • HGT allows organisms to acquire new genes without having to wait for random mutations to occur. This means that organisms can evolve new traits much more quickly than would be possible under natural selection alone.

  • Epigenetic mechanisms allow organisms to transmit traits to their offspring that are not encoded in the DNA sequence. This means that evolution can occur even if there are no changes in the underlying DNA sequence.

  • The study's findings suggest that epigenetic mechanisms play a role in the domestication of HGT-derived genes in P. oryzae. This means that epigenetic mechanisms can help to integrate HGT-derived genes into the host genome and make them subject to the host's regulatory mechanisms.

The study's findings suggest that neo darwinism is not an adequate explanation for all aspects of evolution. Neo Darwinism does not account for the role of HGT or epigenetics.

Discussion

The study on HGT-derived DNA in P. oryzae is an important contribution to our understanding of evolution. The study

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beyond the Sequence: The Epigenetic "Fingers" That Play the DNA Keyboard

Image
Imagine the keyboard itself is not a standard piano keyboard, but a modular synthesizer, capable of producing an almost infinite array of sounds. The DNA sequence, then, represents the fundamental building blocks of this synthesizer, the raw materials from which all sounds are generated. Epigenetics, our "fingers," manipulates these building blocks, adjusting parameters like volume, timbre, and rhythm, transforming the raw potential of the DNA sequence into a symphony of cellular functions. We can further refine the "fingers" analogy. Consider that each finger represents a distinct epigenetic mechanism: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA.  DNA methylation, for instance, might be the "index finger," capable of precisely silencing specific genes, like muting individual keys on the synthesizer. Histone modifications, the "middle finger," could represent the ability to adjust the accessibility of the DN...
Read more

Why are Christian philosophers running towards Darwin while biologists are "running" away?

Image
As nature reveals the strength of epigenetics and the weakness of Neo-Darwinism, biologists are “running” away from the long-standing accepted theory. In The Federalist , April 2019, Benjamin Dierker reviews “Why one-third of biologists now question Darwinism”: "Current estimates are that approximately one-third of professional academic biologists who do not believe in intelligent design find Darwin’s Theory inadequate to describe all of the complexity in biology.” Dierker continues, “The important note is that these are not ideologues or religious zealots, nor do they propose a god or biblical solution.  Rather, they find problems in the lack of explanatory power of Darwin’s theory in light of modern understanding of mutation, variation, DNA sequencing and more. These expressions of doubt do not reject naturalism or evolution per se, but the rigor of the Neo-Darwinian model for explaining the development of life.” For 40 years, scientists calculated natural se...
Read more

Rewriting the Rules: Epigenomic Mutation Bias Challenges Randomness in Evolution

Image
This research challenges the long-held dogma that mutations occur randomly, irrespective of their consequences, by demonstrating a clear, epigenome-mediated mutation bias in Arabidopsis thaliana . The study meticulously unveils how mutation rates are not uniform across the genome but are significantly reduced in functionally constrained regions, particularly within gene bodies and essential genes. This discovery fundamentally alters our understanding of evolutionary processes, suggesting that mutation is not a purely directionless force. "Mutation bias reflects natural selection in Arabidopsis thaliana" This opening statement encapsulates the core finding: mutation rates are not random but reflect epigenetic pressures. The authors demonstrate that mutations are less frequent in crucial genomic regions, directly contradicting the prevailing theory of random mutation. This observation suggests an active mechanism that minimizes deleterious mutations in essentia...
Read more