Fruit Fly Study Sheds Light on How New Genes Become Functional

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Fruit fly study sheds light on how new genes become functional

Most genes are ancient and shared across species. But a small subset of genes are relative newcomers, spontaneously emerging from stretches of DNA that once encoded nothing at all.

How Fruit Fly Studies Reveal New Gene Evolution Insights - Get World Wide Update with Hourly Prime News

The humble fruit fly, scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster, has long been a cornerstone of genetic research. Its simplicity, short life cycle, and well-mapped genome make it an ideal model organism for exploring fundamental biological processes. Recent studies focusing on fruit flies are shedding new light on how novel genes emerge and become functional in thriving genomes, offering profound insights into the mechanisms of evolution. …

Scientists Uncover How New Genes Are Switched On in Fruit Flies

Most genes are ancient and shared across species. But a small subset of genes are relative newcomers, spontaneously emerging from stretches of DNA that once encoded nothing at all.

How New Genes Get Switched On

●De novo genes arise spontaneously from previously non-coding DNA, giving rise to new traits. They can also play important roles in evolution and disease. ●Building upon years of work discovering de novo genes in fruit flies, two new studies describe how these genes are expressed and regulated. ●The findings may have implications for the study of how all genes are expressed and regulated, as well as potential lessons for cancer biology.