The thanatotranscriptome denotes all RNA from the transcript of the part of genome still active or awakened in the internal organs of a dead body for 24 to 48 hours following the time of the death.
Thanatotranscriptomic Analysis
It can from a serology postmortem characterize transcriptome of tissue particular cell type, or compare the transcriptomes between various conditions experimental. It can be complementary to the analysis of thanatomicrobiome to better understand the process of transformation of the necromass in the days following the death;. Characterization and quantification of the transcriptome in a tissue "dead" given and conditions data can identify genes assets, to determine the regulatory mechanisms of Gene Expression and set networks of gene expression.
changes in the quantities of mRNA in the body prove that hundreds of genes with very different functions awoke just after death 548 genes have thus awakened after the death of zebrafish and 515 in the laboratory mice. Among the genes which thus awake, there are genes involved in the development of the organism, including genes that are normally activated only in utero or in ovo during fetal development.
Applications
This information could possibly in the future lead to:
Construct a definition both more accurate and nuanced phenomenon of "death";
Illuminate the phenomenon of cell death of apoptosis or the death of a body, and in particular the phenomenon of ischemia and its process healing or resilience, for perhaps then to facilitate them.
This gene revival also means remaining in the cells for up to 48 hours after the death of these animals enough energy for activating the cellular machinery. At least part of these genes appear to be genes involved in physiological healing, healing or "auto-resuscitation".
Understand cancer. It was found that among the genes reactivated soon after death, some of the genes involved in the process of cancerous ; detailed understanding of this phenomenon could shed light on the phenomenon of carcinogenesis and maybe bring some new elements to better combat.
Improving the quality of organ transplants. Indeed, the fact that cancer-related genes are activated after the death in animals is information that leads us to consider the time of organ transplantation to reduce the incidence of cancer in people receiving these transplants. Persons to which was grafted a new liver actually more cancers after treatment than would be statistically normal. This phenomenon was attributed to the diet imposed on them, or immunosuppressive drugs they receive for their body does not reject the transplant. One hypothesis is that the cancer genes activated in the liver of the donor may also play a role.
Whether there is the same in humans, because previous studies have already shown that in people dead by trauma, heart attack or suffocation, various genes including those involved in cardiac muscle contraction and wound healing, were active more than 12 hours after death. Similarly for gene dental pulp. Some authors in 2015 introduced the concept of "thanatotranscriptome apoptotic"
Test another hypothesis is that after death, a rapid decrease of the "suppressor genes" activity would allow dormant genes wake up, at least for this short period of time.
