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Related Concept Videos

Position-effect Variegation02:32

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In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
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In addition to multiple alleles at the same locus influencing traits, numerous genes or alleles at different locations may interact and influence phenotypes in a phenomenon called epistasis. For example, rabbit fur can be black or brown depending on whether the animal is homozygous dominant or heterozygous at a TYRP1 locus. However, if the rabbit is also homozygous recessive at a locus on the tyrosinase gene (TYR), it will have an unshaded coat that appears white, regardless of its TYRP1...
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Although Mendel chose seven unrelated traits in peas to study gene segregation, most traits involve multiple gene interactions that create a spectrum of phenotypes. When the interaction of various genes or alleles at different locations influences a phenotype, this is called epistasis. Epistasis often involves one gene masking or interfering with the expression of another (antagonistic epistasis). Epistasis often occurs when different genes are part of the same biochemical pathway. The...
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In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
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lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs02:39

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In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA...
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Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Enhanced Northern Blot Detection of Small RNA Species in Drosophila Melanogaster
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Melanism: Cryptic control by non-coding RNAs.

Richard H Ffrench-Constant1, Alex Hayward1

  • 1Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK.

Current Biology : CB
|October 8, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Melanism in butterflies and moths, previously linked to the cortex gene, is now shown to be controlled by non-coding RNAs at the same genetic locus. This finding reveals new insights into the genetic basis of coloration in Lepidoptera.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Melanism, a common trait in butterflies and moths, plays a crucial role in both crypsis and mimicry.
  • Previous research identified the structural gene 'cortex' as the primary genetic determinant of melanism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-evaluate the genetic basis of melanism in Lepidoptera.
  • To investigate the role of non-coding RNAs in the regulation of melanism.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized advanced genetic mapping techniques.
  • Conducted molecular analyses to identify regulatory elements at the cortex locus.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that melanism is not solely controlled by the cortex structural gene.

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  • Identified specific non-coding RNAs at the cortex locus as the key regulators of melanism.

    • Conclusions:

    • The genetic control of melanism in Lepidoptera is more complex than previously understood.
    • Non-coding RNAs play a significant role in the evolution of phenotypic traits like coloration.