RNA can cause neuromuscular degeneration

2003/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biokimika

The genetic error of the fragile X chromosome is one of the main causes of mental retardation. However, doctors have found that drivers of mutation without mental delay can suffer from neuromuscular degeneration. However, they found no explanation for this muscular degeneration. Now scientists have understood that messenger RNA is the cause of the disease.

People who present this genetic error have a specific X chromosome gene longer than necessary, so they do not produce the protein called FMR1. Consequently, there are no neuromuscular degenerations due to the absence of messenger RNA and proteins. However, when the gene has a certain size, it can form RNA, that is, a half-way molecule that is formed when protein is generated from the gene. These patients do not suffer mental retardation, but do neuromuscular degeneration. Hence it follows that the defective RNA is responsible for the degeneration, not the protein.