Thursday, March 13, 2008
DNA and Methyl groups
Agouti mice and DNA with methyl group
This idea might be extremely strange and stupid or it might be quite a good idea, only the future will tell. Agouti mice experiment is well-known. This kind of mice was given food rich in methyl. The impact was huge. Mice receiving this “methyl” food gave birth to offspring with different color than usual. Here are several links on this experiment delivered by Google and I advice all who want to learn more on this experiment to read more than only one link.
Methyl groups are known for silencing impact on DNA sequences and in turn influencing the expression of the information coded in the respective sequence. The only thing that strikes me is, how the heck does it come that only certain sequence of DNA was influenced by this food rich on methyl? As these methyl groups usually get connected to many different DNA sequences, not only that one responsible for the color of fur. It is also responsible for silencing cancer suppressors, and many other sequences. So how come that in this experiment only the fur color was changed?
This brings me to the idea that the methyl group itself appears in different forms, and even the subatomic composition might be of importance, not only the molecular level seems to be the solely important one. So it might be that methyl groups in different forms do “prefer” getting connected to certain sequences of DNA. If this were the case then the next question would have to be, where is the difference in different methyl groups and what type of methyl group gets usually connected to what type of DNA sequence?
The possible differences in methyl groups do not necessarily be at the molecular level, it can be at the subatomic level of DNA sequences “attracting” certain methyl groups.
Well, once again this idea can appear as a total disaster or as something that might be of some importance for future. I like the idea, whatever the outcome will be.
This idea might be extremely strange and stupid or it might be quite a good idea, only the future will tell. Agouti mice experiment is well-known. This kind of mice was given food rich in methyl. The impact was huge. Mice receiving this “methyl” food gave birth to offspring with different color than usual. Here are several links on this experiment delivered by Google and I advice all who want to learn more on this experiment to read more than only one link.
Methyl groups are known for silencing impact on DNA sequences and in turn influencing the expression of the information coded in the respective sequence. The only thing that strikes me is, how the heck does it come that only certain sequence of DNA was influenced by this food rich on methyl? As these methyl groups usually get connected to many different DNA sequences, not only that one responsible for the color of fur. It is also responsible for silencing cancer suppressors, and many other sequences. So how come that in this experiment only the fur color was changed?
This brings me to the idea that the methyl group itself appears in different forms, and even the subatomic composition might be of importance, not only the molecular level seems to be the solely important one. So it might be that methyl groups in different forms do “prefer” getting connected to certain sequences of DNA. If this were the case then the next question would have to be, where is the difference in different methyl groups and what type of methyl group gets usually connected to what type of DNA sequence?
The possible differences in methyl groups do not necessarily be at the molecular level, it can be at the subatomic level of DNA sequences “attracting” certain methyl groups.
Well, once again this idea can appear as a total disaster or as something that might be of some importance for future. I like the idea, whatever the outcome will be.
# posted by Dalibor @ 11:31 AM 
