Octopi living in the near-freezing waters surrounding Antarctica use a clever trick to survive in the frigid conditions: they edit the RNA molecules of important nervous system proteins so that they are not affected by the cold temperatures, according to a study published last week in Science. The results are the first to suggest that RNA editing—as opposed to changes at the DNA level—can be at the root of adaptation, ScienceNOW reported.
Low temperatures are notorious for disrupting the functionality of proteins in the nervous system. The closing of the potassium channels in neuronal membranes, for example, can be delayed by the cold, affecting the neuron’s ability to reestablish its resting charge and prepare to fire again. Indeed, molecular neurophysiologist Joshua Rosenthal of the University ...
