Viruses have helped shape the human brain Bashny.Net

Scientists have long known that endogenous retroviruses formed about 5% of human DNA. For many years it was believed that this "junk" DNA fragments that do not have useful properties. However, the Swedish scientist from the University of Lund was able to find evidence to the contrary .

Johan Jacobson (Johan Jakobsson) and his colleagues found that retroviruses play a major role in the work of the main functions of the brain, especially in the part which determines which genes are activated and when.

The study also found that in the process of evolution is an increasingly growing importance of the leadership of viruses in the functioning of the cellular mechanism, and due to the nature of the nerve cells, they showed themselves most precisely in the nervous system.





"We were able to determine that these viruses is activated in brain cells and play an important regulatory role, - says the head of the Department of Molecular Neurogenetics Johan Jacobson. - We think that retroviruses help explain why the cells, in particular, is so energetic and multifaceted in their functionality. This may also be the reason that because of the more or less complex function of different types of viruses in animals so we differ ».

Jacobson suggests that it is due to the human brain virus mutated and became much more complex brain of other monkeys. That is precisely because of the virus in our ancestors came intellect.

Swedish scientists study not only sheds light on the origin of Homo sapiens, but also opens the door to find new drugs for brain diseases related to genetic factors. "When we are looking for genetic causes of various diseases, they usually look at the known genes account for only 2% of our genome - explains the author of scientific work. - Now offers the ability to search a much larger amount of genetic material that was previously considered unimportant. The picture of the brain becomes more complex, as well as increasing your search errors associated with genetic diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric diseases and brain tumors. "

Source: geektimes.ru/post/244352/