tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post3526096102984489405..comments2024-03-24T05:50:07.033-07:00Comments on Biologizing: Elephant’s Revived Zombie Gene Fends Off CancerPeter Houlihanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00961900865379520219noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-85392104051187198332018-10-28T17:15:38.161-07:002018-10-28T17:15:38.161-07:00Its mechanism is pretty drastic. I hadn't hear...Its mechanism is pretty drastic. I hadn't heard of cell suffocation before so this was pretty interesting to find out. Immediately killing the cell seems like the most logical solution though and its great that this has worked to protect them.<br /><br />Posted by Alexandra RiosAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-44769521805382711662018-10-28T17:09:31.830-07:002018-10-28T17:09:31.830-07:00I agree. Other animals are a great source of infor...I agree. Other animals are a great source of information. It seems that they also believe elephants may have other mechanisms to protect themselves against cancer so that would be great to look more into as well. I definitely think the research that can be done on all kinds of animals would be worth trying!<br /><br />Posted by Alexandra RiosAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-8551995592170962932018-10-28T16:59:09.998-07:002018-10-28T16:59:09.998-07:00Yeah, you may be right! I wonder be curious to kno...Yeah, you may be right! I wonder be curious to know more about whether this gene could actually work in humans/other mammals and provide the same benefits we see with elephants. I would be interested in seeing if they are able to answer this question in the future!<br /><br />Posted by Alexandra RiosAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-67479953796385739862018-10-28T15:49:19.362-07:002018-10-28T15:49:19.362-07:00You mentioned in your opening paragraph that becau...You mentioned in your opening paragraph that because of the elephant's size, it would be thought that they would be more susceptible to and have a higher frequency of cancer. It seems as though it could be plausible since a larger animal has to undergo cell division more often. Although that kind of logic is intuitive, is it true? If it is true, that is possibly why elephants have developed the LIF6 protein and the multiple copies of p53 in their evolution. <br /><br />Posted by Jamie CourtneyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-32760160821621708282018-10-26T10:52:24.100-07:002018-10-26T10:52:24.100-07:00It is a really interesting post. I think this more...It is a really interesting post. I think this more prominent form of p53 tumor-suppressor and the LIF6 protein were two essential adaptations that helped elephant defense cancer with giant body size. Without these genes, elephants may not be so large. I am also surprised that the LIF6 genes was actually non-functional in other mammals, but elephants had this genes reactive.<br /><br />Replied by Muchen LiuAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-80283805489262686722018-10-26T10:50:18.865-07:002018-10-26T10:50:18.865-07:00I am curious as to the ways in which LIF6 is regul...I am curious as to the ways in which LIF6 is regulated and whether or not this has an effect on how it is activated and/or deactivated in mammals? Could there be some sort of regulatory mechanism that is present in elephants that became active again that is not present in humans?<br /><br />Posted by Lauren HillerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-14488393085705031502018-10-25T13:07:42.531-07:002018-10-25T13:07:42.531-07:00I have studied p53 extensively, but never before h...I have studied p53 extensively, but never before heard of LIF6! Do we know what has caused these genes to become active again? If many other mammals carry this same gene, I wonder what sort of selective pressure would have caused this gene to become active again in elephants specifically.<br /><br />Posted by: Hayley FeckoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-79813926186702996242018-10-25T11:56:37.682-07:002018-10-25T11:56:37.682-07:00when the cell has a programmed cell death it is ca...when the cell has a programmed cell death it is called apoptosis. i hear lot of different mechanisms and pathways for apoptosis, but this the first time i read about the mechanism of LIF6. In poking holes in the mitochondria disrupt its function which can be defined as cell suffocation, because the cellular respiration is affected and as result the cell dies. This is a terrible way to kill a cell but if the cell is a cancer cell, which is important for elephant survival, it is beneficial.<br /><br />Posted by Jad ImadJad Imadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-11111235975503189312018-10-25T09:59:09.405-07:002018-10-25T09:59:09.405-07:00I always find it interesting when we look to other...I always find it interesting when we look to other mammals for "inspiration" of sorts. This gene seems like it could lead to some serious developments and knowledge in the cancer field, but if it is so advantageous, why would the gene fall dormant in so many other species? This also leads me to wonder if there are other cancer preventing genes unique to other animals that we just have not been able to or thought to identify yet. There is so much out there to explore and learn and looking at other animals seems like a logical place to find intriguing new information!<br /><br />Posted by Jamie Downer Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008122866340502585.post-24705085472160087522018-10-25T09:35:10.175-07:002018-10-25T09:35:10.175-07:00That's pretty cool! You have to wonder, though...That's pretty cool! You have to wonder, though... This LIF6 gene seems like a pretty good thing... For elephants it seems to work out great. Why has it functionally disappeared from most genomes? There must be some bad effect that we don't know about... It seems too good to be true.<br /><br />Chandler KuprisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com