Junk DNA Can Encode the Proteins

Subverting the traditional theory: junk DNA can also encode the proteins.
Recently, its reported that some scientists in Sweden used a new method for protein analysis and
they found nearly one hundred kinds of novel gene regions for human protein-coding. Many of the
regions are so-called pseudogenes, and they are probably associated with cancer. The researchers
expected that this new approach will promote a whole new field of study.
All information about human genome is stored in the DNA sequence of nucleus, and scientists
have already drawn out of the map in the early 21th century. Gene refers to different portions of a
predetermined type of DNA that can encode the proteins. In the past few decades, researchers used
DNA analysis to define approximately 21,000 human protein-coding genes. In different cell types,
different protein-coding genes might be in the activation or deactivation state, which means many
medical diseases are related to changes in gene activity and specificity. In terms of human
genome, only about 1.5 percent of DNA is composed of protein-coding genes. While as for the
remain DNA, some regulatory sequences are used for adjusting genes protein production. But
most of the DNA are considered to be a lack of use, generally referred to as junk DNA. There is
a so-called pseudogene in the junk DNA, which is always considered as a non-functional gene.
Certain group of researchers also think such gene has lost its function during the evolution
process.
In this latest study, scientists proposed a new protein genomics method, making it possible to trace
the protein-coding genes in the remain 98.5% DNA, which until now has been regarded as an
impossible task. Research suggests that some pseudogenes generated proteins, indicating that they
do have a function. The researchers said that they had to test the peptide sequence and match the
whole genome data with millions of possible sites. In addition, the scientists also developed a new
experimental and bioinformatics approach to conduct protein-based genetic testing, but when
everything was ready, the researchers just felt like they were participating in a genome adventure.
Cells from the mice also received similar findings. Many of the new proteins encoded by
pseudogenes can be traced in other cancer cells, too. The next task for those researchers is to know
whether the genes in genome garbage dump present an important role in cancer or any other
diseases.
The researchers noted that the study of junk DNA does challenge the old theory of fake proteincoding genes. The proposed method allows to conduct the genomic annotation in organisms with
complicated protein-based genomes, which will contribute to find massive new protein-coding
genes in any species with a known DNA sequence in human organisms.

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