Plague’s rapid evolution described in an article in ScienceDaily 30 August 2011. The deadly Plague disease, also known as the ‘Black Death’, is caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis. This germ is believed to be descended from an almost identical bacterium named Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, which can cause a mild stomach irritation, but most people don’t notice they have it. Scientists at Northwestern University have studied the DNA of both these species of bacteria to find a reason for the difference in the ability of the microbes to cause illness. Using their results they were able to generate a complete set of sRNAs (small pieces of RNA used to regulate the activity of genes) for the two bacteria. The research team found six sRNAs in Y. pseudotuberculosis that were absent from Y. pestis. The team were able to work out which genes these sRNAs control. They believe the sRNAs were lost during rapid evolution and are thereby potentially responsible for the Plague’s virulence.
Editorial Comment: Did you notice it was the loss of some sRNA means that took some genes out from under proper control? This is not evolution, it is degeneration. Diseases caused by infection with microbes are part of the overall degeneration of the world that has been going on since mankind rebelled against his Creator, and involve degeneration of the microbes as well as the immune systems of the people and animals they infect. The vast majority of microbes do not make people ill, and some of them form healthy symbiotic relationships with us. It is only when microbes end up in the wrong places or lose some of their function that they make us ill. (Ref. microbiology, biochemistry, genetics)
Evidence News 7 September 2011