From: Dawsonzhu@aol.com
Date: Sat Nov 01 2003 - 02:03:35 EST
Allen Roy wrote:
> Therefore, would you please provide even one
> demonstrated means by which bacterial genes can be incorporated into the
> human
> gene line. This information is apparently widely and thoroughly known so
> you
> should have no problem quickly providing such information. This "braying
> jackass" is always anxious to learn new information.
>
I didn't appreciate David's use of "braying jackass". Everyone can see in
the history of ASA posting that it hasn't changed anyone's view to use
these names in the past, and it is not likely to change anyone's views in
the future.
At any rate:
I recall that introns can sometimes be passed through species. I recall that
a fungus for corn was found to have passed a group I intron to maize in a
PNAS article several years ago now. Some introns also have
coding sequences embedded inside themselves. Perhaps there are (or
have been) molds that have been successful on humans. Retroviruses are
"good" ways to possibly incorporate new genes. It seems that viruses can
mutate exchanging genes with various species, SARS as I recall is a curious
example. Worst of all would be if retroviruses have ways to resurrect
themselves
even after our immunity system has stopped them. Those insertions don't
simply "go away" if an organism survives, and depending on when and where
the infection occurred, there are lots of possibilities. There was also the
mention about 'Alu's (transposons) by Preston (along with a cited reference).
Fine, all these are still speculation, but inter-species transfer between
bacteria
have long been know with the sequencing of bacterial genomes (horizontal
transfer), where I do not think the mechanism is currently known. We don't
know the answer, but so what? What really stops this admittedly _unknown_
but observed effect from happening in higher level organisms other than our
own predjudice that we are somehow "pure"? If we never find a mechanism,
then you have a point, but this is just new information and the _unknown_
and not-understood is always a part of the growth, advancement and
excitement of science.
By Grace alone we proceed,
Wayne
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