In a recent free and open BMC report on gene expression in non-smokers vs. current smokers vs. quitters, Chari and colleagues identify a class of genes whose expression “appears to be permanently altered despite prolonged smoking cessation.” Frighteningly, a number of genes encoding DNA repair enzymes are irreversibly altered … definitely not good to mutagenize your genome and then knock out the repairman. Worse yet, another gene that popped up was calcium binding tyrosine-(Y) phosphorylation regulated (CABYR) a gene that is found in the sperm flagellum, lung and brain (these are all tissues with cells that are rich in microtubules and dynein motors – so perhaps CABYR plays a smoking-related role in the lung in ciliary clearance of mucous). Wait a minute, did someone say sperm cell ? Ouch – no more cigarettes please. Although, the effects of smoking on CABYR expression were reversible, I don’t need a direct mutagenic hit there to make me wince, just thinking about that is enough.
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Genes 2 Brains 2 Mind 2 Me 