Genetic fine print with big consequences: Multiple stop points in genes are more important than thought
Friday, May 20, 2011 - 16:30
in Biology & Nature
A fly without an abdomen is the devastating result of a small genetic change discovered by a Portuguese team. When the stop-signal from a fruit fly gene is removed, the flies suffer developmental abnormalities and die. A new article shows that it matters which of the two polo gene stop-signals cells use. And that losing the second one leads to severe problems with normal development and, eventually, death.