Although Richard Dawkins is just a rat trap for tawdry religious cliche now, he did some spectacular science while his mind still worked. That science focused specifically on how can it be that the genetics in one organism can have such 'familiarity' with the genetics of another such that one organism can use that knowledge to control the other in some way.
Duke researchers have discovered that gut microbes can alter the action of their host organism's genes. Mouse intestinal cells are outlined in red, with the cell nuclei stained blue and a protein called transcription factor Hnf4a stained green within the nuclei. Microbes were found to suppress Hnf4a in both mice and fish in a way that could contribute to intestinal diseases.
Credit: James M. Davison
Science Daily: Microbes seen controlling action of host's genes
Further ...
By comparing gene sequences between different animal species, including humans, mice and zebrafish -- Davison was able to show that throughout evolution, Hnf4a appears to protect against microbial contributions to inflammatory bowel diseases. Davison went on to show that microbes can partially disable Hnf4a in mice and zebrafish and perhaps obstruct its protective role. When Hnf4a is fully disabled, microbes stimulate patterns of gene expression in animals that are associated with inflammatory bowel diseases.
That should be sufficiently tantalizing to evolutionary biologists / geneticists
The Rockhouse interest is in the larger concept of apparent 'shared' knowledge since it goes much higher than with microbes although we fully appreciate the scope of the research regarding microbial exploitation of the 'knowledge.' We have seen how certain parasites can exploit much more advanced hosts such as the way various wasps implant their eggs into parasitized caterpillars or whatever. That process also imparts some other chemical which exploits something in the caterpillar's genetics and consequently changed its behavior.
That aspect is probably what got Dawkins lit up for the study and we don't want to know why he fell to religious dogma after that. Unfortunate.
Note: the Rockhouse doesn't care if he's for or against religious dogma since people believe or we don't and no further discussion is necessary, particularly from slacker who neglects his real job to do it.
Duke researchers have discovered that gut microbes can alter the action of their host organism's genes. Mouse intestinal cells are outlined in red, with the cell nuclei stained blue and a protein called transcription factor Hnf4a stained green within the nuclei. Microbes were found to suppress Hnf4a in both mice and fish in a way that could contribute to intestinal diseases.
Credit: James M. Davison
All animals -- from sea sponges to modern-day humans -- evolved in a world already teeming with microbes. These single-celled microorganisms now cover practically every surface of our bodies and are as much a part of our biology as our own tissues and organs. They educate our immune system, regulate our metabolism, and as it turns out, even influence our behavior.
Science Daily: Microbes seen controlling action of host's genes
Further ...
By comparing gene sequences between different animal species, including humans, mice and zebrafish -- Davison was able to show that throughout evolution, Hnf4a appears to protect against microbial contributions to inflammatory bowel diseases. Davison went on to show that microbes can partially disable Hnf4a in mice and zebrafish and perhaps obstruct its protective role. When Hnf4a is fully disabled, microbes stimulate patterns of gene expression in animals that are associated with inflammatory bowel diseases.
That should be sufficiently tantalizing to evolutionary biologists / geneticists
The Rockhouse interest is in the larger concept of apparent 'shared' knowledge since it goes much higher than with microbes although we fully appreciate the scope of the research regarding microbial exploitation of the 'knowledge.' We have seen how certain parasites can exploit much more advanced hosts such as the way various wasps implant their eggs into parasitized caterpillars or whatever. That process also imparts some other chemical which exploits something in the caterpillar's genetics and consequently changed its behavior.
That aspect is probably what got Dawkins lit up for the study and we don't want to know why he fell to religious dogma after that. Unfortunate.
Note: the Rockhouse doesn't care if he's for or against religious dogma since people believe or we don't and no further discussion is necessary, particularly from slacker who neglects his real job to do it.
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