Science And Sciencibility
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Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Bacterial DNA a key component of vertebrate vision
An ancient gene that our ancestors snatched from bacteria some 500 million years ago became a key component in all vertebrates’ vision. The gene encodes a protein that shuttles light-reactive molecules between cells and is found in all vertebrates — but not in invertebrates. It most closely resembles a class of bacterial genes that encode protein-recycling proteins. Bacteria are known to swap genes, and vertebrates can also incorporate microbial DNA.
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