A specific genetic variant, observed in people, is probably one of the many who have contributed to the development of language to modern people, say scientists.
A gene could have played a role in the appearance of photo spoken: Pixibay
The gene, called Nova1, contains instructions for a protein that plays a crucial role in brain development by binding and regulating the genetic material called RNA in neurons, according to Live Science.
Among other functions, the RNA acts as an intermediary to transmit the sketches from the genome to the places of protein construction inside the cells. Although other mammals have the Nova1 gene, modern people are carriers of a special version in which one component of the resulting protein is changed with another. Specifically, a compound called isoleucine is replaced by valine.
According to the quoted publication, certain mutations of the NOVA1 gene have been associated with developmental delays, including issues related to spoken language, as well as with human movement difficulties.
For example, certain mutations in Nova1 are known to trigger a neurological disorder, an autoimmune called opsoclonus-myoclonus paraneoplastic, which causes patients to face drastic motor dysfunction.
Now, the researchers have shed a new light on the connection between Nova1 and language, suggesting that the gene could have helped the language spoken during the evolution of the modern man.
In a new study, published on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, in the magazine Nature Communications, the researchers used the Edit of the CRISPR gene to change the mice genome so that they have the human version of Nova1.
Then they examined the RNA molecules to which the human nova protein is linked in the brain of mice. They compared this to the mouse version of NOVA1 to the mice that have not been genetically modified.
Human and mouse nova seemed to be connected to some of the same RNA sequences – namely, those involved in regulating brain development and movement control.
However, the same could not be said about RNAs that help control vocalization.
