Yale: The development of the embryo into trillions of specialized cells is
an intricate genetic dance orchestrated by precisely timed expression of
genes. Now a team led by Yale scientists have discovered a way to track
the precise bits of RNA that control this crucial process in a living
animal. The new assay, tested on the genome of zebra fish, allows
scientists to pinpoint function of myriad of signals activated after
fertilization. “The problem we have is how to interpret what the book of
life is telling us,” said Yale geneticist Antonio Giraldez, senior
author of the paper appearing Dec. 26 in the journal Nature Methods.
“What we have done is break apart these instructions so we can determine
the meaning of individual words.”
The assay has many potential
applications, Giraldez said. For instance, in the first hour after
fertilization, the incipient embryo receives all instructions from the
mother, before it begins to activate its independent development. The
new assay can identify specific elements of the genetic code that
counteract instructions from the mother. The method can be used for
other purposes, such as identifying bits of RNA that can activate
cancer-causing genes.
