For a long time,mutations that do not alter protein sequences,so-called synonymous mutations,were largely overlooked.Scientists assumed they had little to no biological impact,considering them as neutral background no...For a long time,mutations that do not alter protein sequences,so-called synonymous mutations,were largely overlooked.Scientists assumed they had little to no biological impact,considering them as neutral background noise in the course of evolution.But a new study by Xin et al.(2025)challenges that assumption.Their research reveals that one such"silent"mutation played a pivotal role in cucumber domestication(Che and Zhang,2019).Rather than being inert,the mutation triggered a cascade of molecular changes involving mRNA structure and chemical modifications,ultimately altering hormone levels and growth patterns.These findings mark a turning point in our understanding of gene regulation,exposing RNA,not just DNA or protein,as a major driver of evolutionary change.展开更多
基金A.Bendahmane and A.Boualem are supported by Saclay Plant Sciences(SPS)(ANR-17-EUR-0007)the NectarGland ERC Project(101095736)+1 种基金Explor'ae ANR-24-RRll-0003the Plant Biology and Breeding Department of INRAE.
文摘For a long time,mutations that do not alter protein sequences,so-called synonymous mutations,were largely overlooked.Scientists assumed they had little to no biological impact,considering them as neutral background noise in the course of evolution.But a new study by Xin et al.(2025)challenges that assumption.Their research reveals that one such"silent"mutation played a pivotal role in cucumber domestication(Che and Zhang,2019).Rather than being inert,the mutation triggered a cascade of molecular changes involving mRNA structure and chemical modifications,ultimately altering hormone levels and growth patterns.These findings mark a turning point in our understanding of gene regulation,exposing RNA,not just DNA or protein,as a major driver of evolutionary change.
