Octopuses can edit their own genes, so the revolution is probably coming

You may not know what coleoid cephalopods are, but you’ve definitely seen them in viral videos. They include octopuses, which can open jars from the inside; squids, which can communicate by changing color; and cuttlefish, whose camouflage skills are unparalleled. They’re the smartest invertebrates on Earth, and scientists may have just figured out why: They can actually edit their own genes.

In 2017, researchers reported in the journal Cell that octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish don’t follow their DNA’s commands like the rest of us mortals. Instead, they do what’s known as RNA editing. Here’s how it works: Usually, RNA acts as a sort of messenger and copyist for DNA — DNA hands over genetic information to the RNA, which it uses to help create particular proteins in cells. But in these animals, that information can be changed in translation. Enzymes can swap out certain nucleotides in the RNA’s code — you may know them as the letters A, U, G, and C — for others, thereby creating proteins that were never encoded in the DNA. As The New York Times puts it, this can allow an organism to “add new riffs to its base genetic blueprint.”

Scientists already knew this was happening — it even happens every so often with our own RNA — but the 2017 study was designed to figure out just how much these animals were using the technique. The answer? A lot. Consider this: Humans have 20,000 genes but only a few dozen places where RNA editing takes place. Squids also have 20,000 genes but have at least 11,000 active RNA editing sites. As Tel Aviv University biophysicist and study co-author Eli Eisenberg said in a press release, “With these cephalopods, this is not the exception. This is the rule. The rule is that most of the proteins are being edited.” Most of those edits happen in the animals’ nervous system, which suggests that it may contribute to their wicked smarts. Previous research pointed to the possibility that they used RNA editing to quickly adapt to changes in temperature.

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

> technology

Octopuses can edit their own genes, so the revolution is probably coming

Thanks, Evolution. They'll take it from here

Ask me anything

> Latest Stories

Athens Doesn’t Do Off-Season: The 2026 Fall Culture Agenda

Greece will not accept instructions on defence from anyone, prime minister says

Lawyer brings dozens of support letters to court for Lindsay Clancy, who killed her children in the US

Calabria’s Grecanico speakers battle to keep an ancient Greek dialect alive

Wide income divide separates high earners and low earners in Greece

Childhood rape victim sues Musk’s xAI over AI-generated abuse images

Defendant in Kypseli case attacks police and tries to escape during transfer to court

Plevris in Copenhagen for “core group” summit focused on creating return hubs in third countries

> Greece

In reverence, the emotional deposition in Jerusalem, see photos & video

The Holy Temple of the Resurrection opened after many days due to the war between Israel and Iran

In the final stretch for the accreditation of joint master’s degrees: Aiming for their launch in the coming academic year

Schedule for Epitaph Procession today (10/4)

Perfect weather for Easter excursions, according to Tsatrafyllia’s forecast

Easter in Greece: The customs that continue in Greek tradition – From Nafpaktos to Corfu