Scientists have found that the horizontal mechanism of gene transfer (a non-sexual way of transferring genes from one organism to another) can be found not only in bacteria and fungi, but also in other animals, including humans. This shows that the world needs a new theory of evolution, one of the leading researchers at the Institute of General Genetics named after VI. NI Vavilov RAS, Professor of Genomics and Bioinformatics at the Siberian Federal University (SFU), geneticist Konstantin Krutovsky.
“A new world is opening up. Perhaps there are coupling mechanisms similar to how it works in bacteria. That is, foreign RNA or DNA can be integrated into the host genome and then used in the fight against the same foreign pathogen.”
Moreover, the geneticist noted that if these elements are located in the germ cells, they can be passed on to the next generation.
“So it could be ‘inheritance of acquired traits’, as formulated by the French biologist Jean Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829), author of one of the first evolutionary teachings that organisms can change their traits during their lifetime. and these changes can be inherited to offspring. This theory was later deemed unscientific and Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution based on natural selection prevailed,” Krutovsky explained.
Horizontal gene transfer can lead to evolutionary changes in an organism because new genes can add new functions and features, as well as make organisms resistant to antibiotics and other environmental factors.
“In my opinion, the conditions are ripe for the creation of a new synthetic theory of evolution based on the synthesis of Lamarckism and Darwinism. And this is a change in the paradigm of thinking – that is, a real revolution in biology, ”concluded Krutovsky.
Read more about the revolution in evidence-based medicine, whether allergies are the result of introducing foreign genes from food, and whether GMOs can be integrated into the human genome – in material “socialbites.ca”.