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A comment on RNA demethylation increases rice and potato yields 50%. Parent comment

Re:RNA demethylation increases rice and potato yields 50% by KirillPanov on Friday July 23, 2021 @12:26AM (#27927196)
I can't explain the paper, but if DNA is genetic ROM, methylation is like one bit of RAM available on each digit [*].

Most of the cellular machinery tries pretty damn hard to make exact copies of DNA. The methylation bits, by contrast, get deliberately flipped on and off all the time.

[*] Technically only A and C can accept methylation, but in a double helix you'll always have either an A or a C on one side or the other at every position (A pairs with T, C pairs with G).

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Re:RNA demethylation increases rice and potato yields 50% by trasz on Friday July 23, 2021 @04:32AM (#27928503)
Deliberately flipped based on what?
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Re:RNA demethylation increases rice and potato yields 50% by KirillPanov on Friday July 23, 2021 @08:14PM (#27937222)
That is an area of very active research.

I mean the exact chemical mechanism for the flip is some enzyme, and the flip certainly affects gene expression. As to why the cellular systems flip these bits, great question :)

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