Dark Genome

Why in news?

• Scientists have discovered important clues to the treatment of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder within a recently-evolved region of the so-called 'dark genome'

About Dark Genome:

• Dark genome refers to ‘DNA outside of the regions conventionally defined as genes’
• The human genome is conventionally divided into the “coding” genome, which generates the ~20,000 annotated human protein coding genes, and the “dark” genome, which does not encode proteins.
• Dark genes cannot be adequately assembled or aligned using standard short-read sequencing technologies.
• It prevents researchers from identifying mutations within these gene regions that may be relevant to human disease. 
• The dark genome is a vast space, accounting for the ~98.5% of genomic space where repeat elements, enhancers, regulatory sequences, and non-coding RNAs reside.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

With reference to ‘Dark Genome’, consider the following statements:

1. It cannot be adequately assembled or aligned using standard short-read sequencing technologies

2. It does not encode proteins

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer