“`html
henry perks
By Stephen Beech via SWNS
Our love of french fries and other carbs dates back over 800,000 years to our cavemen ancestors, suggests a new study.
The origins predate agriculture and maybe even our split from Neanderthals, say scientists.
American researchers have found that the gene for starch-digesting saliva may have first duplicated more than 800,000 years ago, seeding the genetic variation that shapes our modern diet.
It has long been known that humans carry several copies of a gene that allows us to begin breaking down complex carbohydrate starch in the mouth, providing the first step in metabolizing starchy foods such as bread, potatoes and pasta.
However, it has been difficult for scientists to determine how and when the number of those genes expanded.
Now a new study, led by scientists at The University of Buffalo and The Jackson Laboratory, showcases how early duplications of the gene set the stage for the wide genetic variation that still exists today, influencing how effectively humans digest starchy foods.
(SWNS)
The findings, published online by the journal Science, reveal that the duplication of the gene – known as the salivary amylase gene (AMY1) – may not only have helped shape human adaptation to starchy foods but may have occurred as far back as more than 800,000 years ago, long before the advent of farming.
Study corresponding author Professor Omer Gokcumen, of The University of Buffalo, said: “The idea is that the more amylase genes you have, the more amylase you can produce and the more starch you can digest effectively.”
He explained that amylase is an enzyme that not only breaks down starch into glucose but also gives bread its taste.
Gokcumen used optical genome mapping and long-read sequencing, a methodological breakthrough crucial to mapping the AMY1 gene region in extraordinary detail.
He said traditional short-read sequencing methods struggle to accurately distinguish between gene copies due to their near-identical sequence.
Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!
