Institute of Medical Biology, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos #05, Singapore 138648, Singapore.
Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S3E1, Canada.
Nat Rev Genet. 2018 Jan;19(1):34-49. doi: 10.1038/nrg.2017.74. Epub 2017 Oct 16.
Gene essentiality is a founding concept of genetics with important implications in both fundamental and applied research. Multiple screens have been performed over the years in bacteria, yeasts, animals and more recently in human cells to identify essential genes. A mounting body of evidence suggests that gene essentiality, rather than being a static and binary property, is both context dependent and evolvable in all kingdoms of life. This concept of a non-absolute nature of gene essentiality changes our fundamental understanding of essential biological processes and could directly affect future treatment strategies for cancer and infectious diseases.
基因的必需性是遗传学的一个基本概念，对基础研究和应用研究都有重要的影响。多年来，人们在细菌、酵母、动物，以及最近在人类细胞中进行了多种筛选，以鉴定必需基因。越来越多的证据表明，基因的必需性不是一种静态的、二元的属性，而是在所有生命领域中都具有依赖性和可进化性。这种非绝对的必需基因的概念改变了我们对必需生物过程的基本认识，并可能直接影响癌症和传染病的未来治疗策略。
