Scientists discover a human brain gene that can jump through DNA — SkimNews
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- Cornell University researchers identified BC200, a gene expressed mainly in neurons that evolved from a transposon millions of years ago but never lost its mobility, making it the first known human gene to serve a cellular function while still jumping.
- The discovery was triggered when BC200 was found embedded inside the molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV), a human poxvirus, suggesting the gene jumped from infected skin cells into the virus.
- About half of the human genome consists of transposon-derived DNA, but only a tiny fraction of those elements are still mobile, the researchers noted.
- BC200 also appears at low levels in germ cells (sperm and eggs), meaning it could create new insertions in the genome inherited by future generations.
- The gene is expressed abnormally in some tumors and at elevated levels in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, raising questions about whether its mobility plays a role in disease.
- The study, led by senior author Cedric Feschotte, was published Sept. 24, 2026 in Science; the team next plans to investigate whether MCV uses BC200 to manipulate human host cells.
Why it matters: BC200 is the first documented human gene that both serves a cellular function in neurons and retains the ability to relocate within the genome. Its documented presence in Alzheimer's-affected brains, in tumors, and inside a poxvirus gives researchers a new lead connecting mobile genetic elements to neurodegenerative disease and cancer.
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