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Mammals' DNA Dynamics Challenged by Horizontal Gene Transfer

10/28/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Mammals can undergo horizontal gene transfer via cell-free chromatin particles from dying cells, per Professor Indraneel Mittra's team at Mumbai's Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer.
The particles enter living cells and form concatemers acting as autonomous genomes.
The work challenges traditional genomics and evolution, showing DNA may be dynamic.
Concatemers are mainly non-coding DNA, previously deemed "junk," with functions activated after death.

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Story summary

Mammals can undergo horizontal gene transfer via cell-free chromatin particles from dying cells, per Professor Indraneel Mittra's team at Mumbai's Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer.
The particles enter living cells and form concatemers acting as autonomous genomes.
The work challenges traditional genomics and evolution, showing DNA may be dynamic.
Concatemers are mainly non-coding DNA, previously deemed "junk," with functions activated after death.