"Gene split" has long been a guess for origin of new gene in the nature. Scientists have not found direct evidence to support the guess however.
A research fruit of Dr. Wang Wen and his colleagues with Kunming Institute of Zoology, China Academy of Science, published on the latest issue of the Nature Genetics, proved that new gene could be produced from gene split.
A young gene family of fruit fly was used to assist the research. Scientists have to turn to some young genes for research of molecular mechanism for gene origin and dynamics process of evolution, because evolution information of most genes has been overwhelmed by gene mutation, explains Wang.
The young gene is the second young gene discovered in the world following the discovery of the young RNA gene, "Sphinx Gene". Scientists vividly called the newly discovered gene family "monkey king gene family" because a lot of new genes derive from this gene family, much in the way the "monkey king" produces little monkeys by blowing his hairs.
In the process of gene split, two gene copies of the "monkey king gene" are produced. The two gene copies finally split through completing each other and degenerating. The "monkey king gene" clarifies for the first time how gene split is realized. In addition, the research shows the sequence of gene can be produced in a pretty short time.
The production of new genes is a crucial process in evolution of life. The research unveils an important mechanism for production of new gene. Scientists will further explore the rules of the nature's gene production, which is very instructive for making of new bioactive medicine.
(People's Daily April 8, 2004)
