Living things / DAY 32 OF 40
An octopus edits the message.
Temperature changes can alter RNA editing in its nervous system.
Here's the strange part.
An octopus can alter the messages used to build proteins as its surroundings change. In experiments, colder conditions were associated with more editing at many RNA-recoding sites in its nervous system. Some changes affected measured protein properties. This may help the animal adjust to temperature, but it is not an octopus sitting down to rewrite its DNA. (Nature Genetics)
RNA editing changes messages used to make proteins. It does not mean the animal consciously rewrites its DNA.
REALITY CHECK · TRUE OR FALSE?
Eight arms. Which document is being edited?
RNA editing means the octopus consciously rewrites its DNA.
Go straight to the receipts.
Curious about the methods, dates or details? Open the original source and keep the caveat in view.
ORIGINAL SOURCENature GeneticsOpen publication ↗NEXT IN THE 40-DAY TRAIL / DAY 33A trillion smells? Let's inspect that number. ↗