The functioning of certain regions of a few genes in cetaceans (whales, porpoises and dolphins) may explain why the Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) can reach lengths of up to 30 meters—almost 10 m more than a bus—while the Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is 4 m long at most. It can also help toward the development of new cancer treatments.
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This is the subject of an article published in the journal BMC Ecology and Evolution by a group of researchers at the State University of Campinas Institute of Biology (IB-UNICAMP) in São Paulo state, Brazil.
"Although cetaceans are divided into two well-defined evolutionary groups, Odontoceti [dolphins and toothed whales] and Mysticeti [baleen whales that have no teeth and filter zooplankton through keratin bristles, including blue whales and humpback whales, for example], we found in the promoter region of the gene NCAPG a division between those with lengths of more or less than 10 m—giants and non-giants," said Felipe Silva, first author of the article.
The promoter region of a gene is a DNA sequence located upstream of the protein-coding region where the messenger RNA that intermediates protein synthesis is produced. It begins the process of transcription, in which an RNA copy of a gene's DNA sequence is made. As such, it acts as a regulator of gene expression.
Analysis of the NCAPG promoter region, which can make the gene express more protein or inhibit protein production, showed that the sperm whale (Physeter catodon),…
André Julião
phys.org