1We humans, more than any other species, edit our ncRNA molecules to a remarkable 2degree. Not even other primates carry out this reaction as well as we do. We also 3edit particularly extensively in the brain. This makes editing of ncRNA an 4attractive candidate process to explain why we are mentally so much more 5sophisticated than our primate relatives, even though we share so much of our DNA 6template in common. 7 8In some ways, this is the beauty of ncRNAs. They create a relatively safe method 9for organisms to use to alter various aspects if cellular regulation. Evolution 10has probably favoured this mechanism because it is simply too risky to try to 11improve function by changing proteins. Proteins, you see, are the Mary Poppins of 12the cell. They are \quote {practically perfect in every way}. 13 |
