"Scientists Rewrite Gene's Origin Story, Unveiling Profound Paradigm Shift"
Scientists have discovered a new origin story for the key regulatory gene, Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Previously thought to primarily control developmental genes, PRC2's ancestral function has been redefined as protecting the genome against transposon invasion. This function, found across various eukaryotes, evolved over time to its current role in silencing protein-coding genes. The study reveals that PRC2 represses transposons in distant lineages of eukaryotes, indicating that this function arose in the ancestor of these lineages. The findings suggest a profound change in paradigm and shed light on the evolutionary history of gene regulation.