60秒科学:Gene for Disease Has Healthy Flip Side
Gene 1 for Disease Has Healthy Flip 2 Side
A study in the journal Science finds that the gene for anemia 3-causing G6PD deficiency also protects against malaria 4, thereby 5 keeping the gene active in populations. Cynthia Graber reports
Sickle 6 cell disease is a blood disorder 7 due to a single genetic 8 mutation 9. It remains 10 in populations because the mutation has a flip side—it helps to protect against malaria. Now another mutation has been shown to afford similar protection. Deficiency in the enzyme 11 glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase, known as G6PD deficiency, leads to anemia and jaundice. The condition affects more than 400 million people.
Scientists had thought that the prevalence of the deficiency might also be linked to protection against malaria, but they weren’t able to find a connection in Africa. Now a study in Asia shows how the gene for G6PD-deficiency can indeed help. It appeared in the December 11th edition of the journal Science. The deficiency is particularly common in Myanmar and Thailand. So researchers spent eight years studying the Karen people in Thailand, who live near the Myanmar border. They showed that the mutation definitely reduces the number of malaria-causing Plasmodium vivax parasites 12, lessening 13 the severity of the disease.
This protective effect has kept the genetic condition active in the population. Researchers hope that the good side of the mutation can be exploited to develop new and better ways to fight malaria.
- A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
- The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。
- I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
- Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。
- The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。
- I was put on iron tablets for my anemia.我曾因贫血吃补铁药片。
- He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
- Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。
- I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
- He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。
- The gardener was swishing off the tops of weeds with a sickle.园丁正在用镰刀嗖嗖地割掉杂草的顶端。
- There is a picture of the sickle on the flag. 旗帜上有镰刀的图案。
- When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
- It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。
- It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
- Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
- People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
- So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。
- He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
- The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
- Above a certain temperature,the enzyme molecule will become unfolded.超过一定温度，酶分子将会展开。
- An enzyme that dissolves the fibrin of blood clots.能溶解血凝块中的纤维的酶。
- These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的，而与寄生虫无关。
- Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。