Dual-Gene Code Discovery Highlights Designed Biocomplexity | The Institute for Creation Research

Dual-Gene Code Discovery Highlights Designed Biocomplexity

Recent evidence of dual codes in the protein-coding sections of genes raised the bar on our understanding of genome complexity.1,2 Now a new study is showing that the control regions of genes contain dual codes as well.3 This newly discovered level of innovation clearly reflects elegant design rather than chance processes.

Genes produce RNA molecules called transcripts, some of which code for proteins while others are used directly by the cell. In either case, the gene has a complexly encoded control region at the beginning of its sequence called a "promoter." These promoter segments integrate a variety of control inputs based on the cell or tissue type, among other factors. They also recruit a variety of proteins called transcription factors that initiate the copying of the gene into an RNA transcript by an enzyme called RNA polymerase.

Many of the control codes in gene promoters that govern their activity have been difficult for scientists to decipher because they act in a complex combinatorial system with other factors. Further complicating matters is the recent discovery that multiple promoter regions exist, and each one is highly cell-type specific.4 So what is telling the transcriptional machinery which specific promoter site to use for a given gene and precisely when to begin transcription? While many functional promoter elements are now being identified, the cellular mechanisms for properly selecting which one to use remains unclear.

In this recent study, researchers used the developing zebrafish embryo as the model genetic system to study gene promoters. In the early development of the zebrafish embryo, the gene products (RNAs and proteins) inherited from the mother do most of the work in the cell.3 The genome of the zygote (newly dividing embryonic cells) becomes activated at the tenth-cell cycle—marking what is called the mid-blastula transition—providing an ideal opportunity to study how different promoter regions are selected and function in genes.

It was discovered that during this transition, the change from maternal to zygotic transcription involves a switch between two different promoter regions in many of the embryo's genes. But the really amazing aspect of this feature is that the initiation codes (essentially a form of genetic grammar) between the two promoter regions overlap—the coded information contains dual meanings depending on the context during the transition. The differences between the two promoter states (maternal vs. zygotic) is also defined by different three-dimensional conformations of the DNA molecule in the promoter region. The exact nature of this phenomena remains to be determined and the researchers state "The dissection of overlapping core promoter determinants represents a framework for future studies of promoter structure and function across different regulatory contexts."3

Clearly, the continuing discovery of dual meanings, messages, and functions in the same stretches of DNA will only continue to increase as genomes become more thoroughly scrutinized with advanced technologies. Designed irreducible biocomplexity is the only viable explanation for such discoveries, and this points to an incredibly intelligent Designer.

References

  1. Tomkins, J. 2014. Duons: Parallel Gene Code Defies Evolution. Creation Science Update. Posted on icr.org January 6, 2014, accessed April 8, 2014.
  2. Stergachis, A. B. et al. 2013. Exonic Transcription Factor Binding Directs Codon Choice and Affects Protein Evolution. Science. 342 (6164): 1367-1372.
  3. Haberle, V. et al. 2014. Two independent transcription initiation codes overlap on vertebrate core promoters. Nature. doi:10.1038/nature12974.
  4. Batut, P. et al. 2013. High-fidelity promoter profiling reveals widespread alternative promoter usage and transposon-driven developmental gene expression. Genome Research. 23 (1):169–180.

*Dr. Tomkins is Research Associate at the Institute for Creation Research and received his Ph.D. in genetics from Clemson University.

Article posted on April 9, 2014.

The Latest
CREATION PODCAST
Homo Naledi: The Lies Behind Evolution's Rising Star | The Creation...
Homo naledi, once evolution's 'rising star,' was considered to be a prime example of human evolution. But is it really proof? Or...

NEWS
A Subsurface Ocean on Mimas?
Scientists have analyzed data obtained from the Cassini spacecraft and concluded that irregularities in the orbit of Saturn’s moon Mimas indicate...

NEWS
In Theaters March 20 & 21: The Ark and the Darkness
Is Genesis true? What about Noah’s Flood? How did Noah fit the animals on the ark? Wasn’t it a local flood? Have you asked these questions? Though...

NEWS
Enigmatic Fossil Plants
The pre-Flood world thousands of years ago was unlike the world of today.1 Unfamiliar animals and plants were common, and there were a lot...

NEWS
Surprisingly Colorful Fossil Snail Shells
Finding organic compounds such as flexible dinosaur collagen and complete bone cells1,2 is becoming common, much to the shock and consternation...

NEWS
March 2024 ICR Wallpaper
"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said." (Matthew 28:6 NKJV) ICR March 2024 wallpaper is now available for mobile, tablet,...

CREATION PODCAST
Homo Erectus: The Shocking Truth About the "Ape Man"...
Homo erectus, or "Upright Man," has been upheld as a piece of mankind's "evolutionary history" since its discovery in 1891....

NEWS
Mystery of Moths' Warning Sound
Insects of all types continue to amaze entomologists with their design and physiology. Cleveland Hickman, Jr., et al. stated, “insect ears are...

NEWS
Geneticist Fired for Affirming Humans Once Lived 900 Years?
Geneticist Alexander Kudryavtsev, the head of the Russian Academy of Science’s Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, has been fired, reportedly...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Solar Eclipses
Designed by Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover fun facts...