For the last 3 decades, the curiosity of molecular biologists has been to understand the long-neglected grey areas of our genome and proteome. A majority of the human DNA was considered "junk DNA" as it arguably does not code for the biochemical proteome. Similarly, viewing the protein structures through crystals have imprinted upon our minds, for generations, a rigid image of a protein structure and function. However, the recent breakthroughs in methods of genetics, genomics, transcriptomics, as well as molecular imaging, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations have tremendous potential to explore the unknown sides of genomes and proteomes. For example, time-course omics experiments have been used to track the genetic expression within a cell to identify many genes that are expressed for a very short time during their processes. It would not have been possible to ascertain their functions otherwise. Similarly, CRISPR-Cas9 inhibition and activation experiments, real-time scale MD-simulations and cryogenic electron microscopy movies can help us identify the unknown regions of our genome and proteome followed by further exploration of their regulation and function. Understanding the evasive parts of our genome like the transposable elements, viral inserts, and the high entropy regions of a protein structure including the disordered proteins can be critical to how science perceives molecular evolution altogether.
Therefore, this Research Topic is designed to curate Original Research, Reviews, statistical analyses and short communications that can help the community understand genomic and proteomic flexibility in a single context of molecular evolution. The objective is to understand the role of the genomic and proteomic flexibility during:
1. Events that impact the genetic makeup of an organism like infections, mutations, retroviral insertions, etc.;
2. Diseases and disorders like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases;
3. Changes in cell fate and misregulated apoptosis;
4. Integration of foreign elements or mimics into the human genome and their expression regulation.
For the last 3 decades, the curiosity of molecular biologists has been to understand the long-neglected grey areas of our genome and proteome. A majority of the human DNA was considered "junk DNA" as it arguably does not code for the biochemical proteome. Similarly, viewing the protein structures through crystals have imprinted upon our minds, for generations, a rigid image of a protein structure and function. However, the recent breakthroughs in methods of genetics, genomics, transcriptomics, as well as molecular imaging, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations have tremendous potential to explore the unknown sides of genomes and proteomes. For example, time-course omics experiments have been used to track the genetic expression within a cell to identify many genes that are expressed for a very short time during their processes. It would not have been possible to ascertain their functions otherwise. Similarly, CRISPR-Cas9 inhibition and activation experiments, real-time scale MD-simulations and cryogenic electron microscopy movies can help us identify the unknown regions of our genome and proteome followed by further exploration of their regulation and function. Understanding the evasive parts of our genome like the transposable elements, viral inserts, and the high entropy regions of a protein structure including the disordered proteins can be critical to how science perceives molecular evolution altogether.
Therefore, this Research Topic is designed to curate Original Research, Reviews, statistical analyses and short communications that can help the community understand genomic and proteomic flexibility in a single context of molecular evolution. The objective is to understand the role of the genomic and proteomic flexibility during:
1. Events that impact the genetic makeup of an organism like infections, mutations, retroviral insertions, etc.;
2. Diseases and disorders like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases;
3. Changes in cell fate and misregulated apoptosis;
4. Integration of foreign elements or mimics into the human genome and their expression regulation.