人类银屑病,海龟皮肤蛋白 z-bo 2020-09-21 388

　　Leopold Eckhart, a molecular biologist at the Medical University of Vienna, and his team conducted a comparative study of the genes of humans and turtles 3.1 billion years ago. The experiment found that humans and turtles have the same genes for characteristic skin proteins, which stems from the common ancestors of the two. .

　　The evolution of

　　tortoise shell is very successful, and its defense function can clearly distinguish sea turtles, tortoises and other reptiles. In this study, a working group led by Leopold Eckhart studied the functions of genes in the shells of European freshwater turtles and North American sea turtles and compared them with genes in human skin.

　　The results of the study indicate that the formation of the crust is the result of mutations in a group of genes called the epidermal differentiation complex (EDC). A comparison of the genome data of various reptiles shows that the EDC mutation occurred about 2.5 billion years ago when the tortoise parted ways with other reptiles.

　　Humans and sea turtles have a common ancestor

　　It is worth noting that in humans and turtles, the basic organization of EDC genes is similar. This can lead to the following conclusions: typical EDC genes evolved from a common ancestor, and they lived 3.1 billion years ago, similar to modern reptiles.

　　In sea turtles, genes evolved to form proteins, which caused the outer layer of the skin to strengthen cross-linking, which hardened visibly and formed a shell. In humans, the EDC gene protects the skin from microorganisms and allergens.

　　This new study shows that genes related to human evolution have protective functions, and they are also present in turtles and other reptiles. It is hoped that the interaction of proteins can be better explained by comparing human and animal skins. In the future, this result may be used in medicine, such as improving the treatment of psoriasis, because the EDC gene mutation is found in psoriasis.

　　Participating research units: Center for Integrated Bioinformatics (CIBIV) of Max F. Perutz Laboratory, University of Vienna, University of Veterinary Medicine, Max F. Perutz Zoo and University of Bologna.