Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
Context: Researchers at Princeton University discovered that the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, commonly known as C. elegans, exhibits an intriguing behaviour where offspring inherit the knowledge of avoiding disease-causing bacteria consumed by their parents.
This transgenerational transmission of learned behaviour extends up to four generations and is facilitated by small RNA molecules produced by the bacteria. Specifically, when C. elegans ingests the disease-causing bacterium Pseudomonas vranovensis, it also absorbs small RNA molecules from the bacterium, altering its feeding behaviour to avoid consuming it in the future. This avoidance behaviour is then inherited by subsequent generations of worms, providing them with innate protection against harmful bacteria.
sRNA, a type of non-coding RNA (ncRNA), typically consists of 20 to 200 nucleotides and does not encode proteins. Instead, sRNA molecules interact with proteins and other RNAs, modulating the expression of various genes in the organism.
