The Evolving Definition of a Gene

December 2009 BioScience Feature

Author Karen Hopkin

With the discovery that nearly all of the genome is transcribed, the definition of a "gene" needs another revision. In the past five years, numerous investigators using a variety of techniques have uncovered a cornucopia of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) that have excited great interest and called into question the way we think about "genes." Some RNAs, like micro-RNAs, regulate the expression of suites of genes. Some appear to influence the state of chromatin. Others may simply be the product of transcriptional noise--which may or may not play a role in keeping genes "readable." All lead us from our traditional genes-encode-proteins formulation of genome function.

Read More http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/bio.2009.59.11.3