????科学家卡利萨·桑邦马特苏通过揭示她的变性经历如何引导她探索表观遗传学，带我们进入了一段关于DNA 的狂野派对及爱的科学的旅程。卡利萨在她的演讲中宣布自己是一个变性女人，并认为长的 RNA 分子 （DNA 的分子堂兄妹) 可能揭开表观遗传学的奥秘并会有一天帮助自闭症、上瘾 与老年痴呆症的治疗。
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I love you.
我爱你
(Laughter)
（笑声）
When you are in a relationship, when do you say,
当你在一段感情中时，你什么时候
"I love you," for the first time?
第一次说“我爱你“？
How do you know you are in love?
你怎么知道自己恋爱了？
When do you define the relationship?
你何时确认恋爱关系？
When do you make it 'Facebook official'?
你什么时候把恋情列为“脸书正式交往”
(Laughter)
（笑声）
We all know the symptoms of love:
我们知道恋爱的症状
the butterflies in your stomach, your hands getting clammy,
百爪挠心，掌心冒汗
so nervous, you are terrified,
极度紧张，你惊恐万分
but you cannot wait for more.
但是你简直等不及更多
There's a lot going on when you fall in love.
恋爱时会发生很多事
You thought it was just a bunch of heartache and money.
你以为它只是很多心痛和金钱
Your brain goes through all kinds of changes.
你的大脑经历了各种的变化
It gets flooded with oxytocin, the love chemical.
它被后叶催产素这种爱情化学物充满
Falling in love is physiological.
恋爱是生理的
On the other hand, since the time you could walk,
另一方面，从你会走路那时起
you've heard stories about love from everyone.
你就开始听到各种人的各种爱情故事
Is the ability to fall in love genetically programmed
你恋爱的能力是被逐渐培养的呢
or were you conditioned to fall in love?
还是恋爱能力是与生俱来的呢？
Is it nature or is it nurture?
这是先天的还是后天的？
We do not know.
我们不知道
What exactly do we mean by "Nature vs. Nurture"?
我们说“天生与后天“究竟是什么意思呢？
By "Nature" we mean things that are genetically programmed,
所谓“先天”，我们是指写入基因中的
passed down from generation to generation,
并且从一代人遗传给下一代人的物质
apart from a fluke mutation once in a while.
除了偶然的侥幸突变
By "Nurture" we mean things that are learnt,
所谓“后天”我们是指通过学习得到的事物
or a product of your environment, like riding a bike,
或者你所在环境的产物，就像骑车
or maybe staying in the sun too long and getting skin cancer.
或者像你如果在太阳下待久了就会得皮肤癌
How about the ability to deal with stress?
那处理压力的能力呢？
Is that genetically programmed, or a product of your environment?
这是基因决定的还是环境产生的呢？
How about gender identity? Nature or Nurture?
那性别身份呢？是先天的还是后天的？
How about the ability to annoy people?
那烦人的本领呢？
(Laughter)
（笑声）
Don't you just want to ask that annoying person at work:
你难道不想问问工作中那些烦人的人
"Were you genetically programmed to be that way?"
“你这样是基因决定的吗？”
(Laughter)
（笑声）
"Or do you actually practice that in front of the mirror all day?"
“还是你整天对着镜子这样练习？”
(Laughter)
（笑声）
Some traits are not nature and not nurture
有些特征既不是先天的也不是后天的
but something different all together: epigenetic.
而是全然不同的另一样东西：表观遗传
Epigenetics literally means a layer above your genetics.
表观遗传字面上的意思就是基因之上的一个层次
If your genetics is the hardware,
如果你的基因是硬件
your epigenetics is the software, or the operating system.
那么你的表观遗传就是软件，或者是操作系统
Your epigenetics allows the environment to change your DNA.
你的表观遗传让环境改变你的DNA
The most famous example of epigenetics is the response to stress.
最有名的表观遗传例子就是压力反应
A group in Montreal used rats to go after the specific question:
蒙特利尔的一个科研小组用鼠探究一个特定问题：
"If you are an attentive mom, does that affect the DNA of your children?"
“如果你是一个温存的母亲，这会影响到你孩子的DNA吗？”
They looked at two populations of rats.
他们观察了两组老鼠
In population number 1
在第一组中
the mothers were very nurturing, licking and grooming their pups.
母亲都非常周到，舔拭并梳洗它们的幼崽
These baby rats actually have the royal treatment.
这些小鼠事实上享受着皇室待遇
Mom's cuddling them all the time, tying their shoes,
妈妈总是把它们搂在怀里，给它们系鞋带
driving them to soccer practice every day.
每天开车带它们去足球训练
(Laughter)
（笑声）
These baby rats had it made.
这些幼鼠成功了
They looked at the DNA of these baby rats, and the DNA looked fine.
他们观察了这些小鼠的DNA，而DNA看上去很好
In population number 2 these mothers were not very nurturing.
在第二组中，这些母亲并不周到
No licking, no grooming, no cuddling. Not very attentive.
没有舔拭梳毛，没有抱抱 很不周到
They looked at the DNA of these baby rats
他们观察了这些幼鼠的DNA
and they found strange marks on that DNA,
然后他们找到了一些在DNA上奇怪的斑点
and those marks were positioned precisely at the stress response gene.
而这些斑点正是位于压力反应基因上
In fact, these baby rats couldn't deal with any stress at all.
事实上，这些幼鼠完全不能应对任何压力
And that behavior persisted for their whole lifetime.
而且这样的行为会持续一生
For kicks, they decided to look at the grandkids' DNA.
接下来，他们决定观察孙辈的DNA
And the grandkids' stress response gene was turned off too.
这些孙辈的压力应对基因也关闭了
How could that possibly be?
这怎么可能呢？
How can a mother nurturing her pups change their DNA?
母亲养育幼崽怎么能够改变它们的DNA？
Let's think about what DNA is.
让我们想一想DNA是什么
DNA is a molecule
DNA是一个分子
that's very thin and very long.
很细很长
There is enough DNA in your body
你的身体里的DNA
to wrap around the Earth 2.5 million times.
足以把地球缠绕二百五十万圈
How can all that DNA be squeezed into your body
这么多的DNA是如何挤进你的身体里
in such an organized way to control everything?
而且这么有序地控制一切？
Your DNA is threaded
你的DNA缠绕在
around tiny, microscopic spools,
一些细小的，极其微小的线轴上
trillions and trillions of these spools.
几万亿几万亿的线轴
Here we can see DNA in all its glory, atom for atom.
这里我们能看见DNA的全部，每一个原子
It's wrapped around molecular spools,
它缠绕在分子线轴上
called histones, in blue.
叫做组蛋白，如蓝色部分所示
At first, the stress response is turned off.
一开始，这些压力反应被关闭了
But when our baby rats are being hugged and cuddled,
但是当我们的小鼠被依偎拥抱时
serotonin is released in their brains.
血清素在它们的大脑中释放
Serotonin turns on a light switch,
血清素把一个开关打开
called lysine number 4.
叫做赖氨酸－4
This is chemically modified, or acylated,
这是被化学地修改的，或者说酰化的
triggering the spools to unwind, unwrapping the DNA,
松开线轴，展开DNA
exposing the stress response part to the cell.
把细胞上压力反应的部分暴露出来
So our baby rats are happy and healthy.
所以我们的幼鼠很快乐健康
You can think of it like a garden hose.
你可以把这想作一根园艺水管
Imagine a garden hose a mile long,
请想像这园艺水管有一英里长
here in this theater, floating in the air.
在这个剧场的上空飘浮
Do you know those garden hose spools, the plastic ones,
你知道这些用来储存园艺水管的
to store the garden hose?
塑料园艺水管轴吗？
Imagine thousands of those spools winding and unwinding,
想像上千的轴绕紧又解开
turning genes on and off with exquisite precision.
微妙精确地把基因打开又关上
Somehow, these spools have special powers.
以某种方式，这些轴有了特别的能量
They know what is happening all around the cell.
它们知道了这些细胞周围都在发生什么
They can turn the genes on and off
它们可以把基因打开再关上
at just the right times, at just the right moments.
次数刚好，时间也刚好
They are so exquisite,
它们这么细微
they can take an egg cell to an embryo to a newborn baby.
以至于它们可以使蛋壳变成一个坯胎再到一个新生儿
So our molecular spools are winding and unwinding, controlling everything,
所以我们的分子轴绕紧又松开，控制着一切
like the maestro of a big dance, or better yet, a DJ.
就像大型舞会的指挥，或者更厉害，像一个DJ
If our hose were actually the color green and glowing,
所以如果我们的水管真的是闪闪发光的绿色
then we'd actually have a real rave party in here.
那么我们真的就有了一个狂欢舞会
Like, you know —
就像，你知道
? Boots and pants and boots and pants and boots and pants and boots and pants ?
? 靴子和裤子和靴子和裤子和靴子和裤子和靴子和裤子?
(Laughter)
（笑声）
OK. (Laughter) (Applause)
好吧（笑声）（掌声）
So that was Epigenetics 101;
所以这就是表观遗传学入门课了
a big rave party in your cells,
一个你的细胞中的狂欢派对
where DNA and socialization get all tangled up together.
其中DNA和社会化缠结在一起
How about gender identity?
那我们的性别身份呢？
Was I born a girl or did I become one?
我天生就是女孩还是我成为了一个女孩？
This question shattered
这个问题毁了
almost every romantic relationship that I've been in.
我曾经有过的所有恋爱关系
You see, I am a woman who happens to be transgender.
你瞧，我是一个女人，一个经历过变性的女人
For years I struggled,
我挣扎了许多年
until I finally found the courage to be who I really am.
直到我最终找到做自己的勇气
(Applause) (Cheers)
（掌声）（喝彩）
If you think love is complicated,
如果你认为爱情很复杂
imagine what it is like for me;
想像一下它对我而言是什么样
about as complicated as that DNA molecule we're looking at.
这几乎像我们看过的DNA分子一样复杂
Luckily, both of my parents nurtured me all the time,
幸运的是，我的父母一直都在养育我
so I have plenty of serotonin stored up to deal with stress
所以我有足够的血清素来应对压力
and to be here, on this stage, coming out.
并站在这里，在这个舞台上，公开宣布
(Applause)
（掌声）
I've been following in the footsteps
我一直追随着Laverne Cox、
of Laverne Cox, Geena Rocero and Janet Mock.
Geena Rocero以及Janet Mock（均为变性者）的脚步
Back when I was in therapy, my therapist mentioned:
当我还在接受心里治疗的时候，我的治疗师对我说：
"If you could identify the genetic basis of gender dysphoria,
“如果你能认同基因是性别病理性心境恶劣的基础，
it would be a real breakthrough."
这将是个很大的突破。”
She actually used the word rockstar,
她真的用了摇滚明星这个词
and who does not want to be a rockstar?
谁不想当摇滚明星？
At the time, I was working in the field of RNA.
那时，我在研究RNA领域
This is DNA's molecular cousin.
这是个DNA的分子表亲
So, I sat down and I googled,
所以，我坐下来搜索
"RNA and gender identity."
“RNA和性别身份”
There was only one hit, "steroid receptor RNA activator."
那只有一个结果，“类固醇感受器RNA催化剂“
This helps estrogen do its thing.
它帮助雌激素工作
It also directly binds the sex reversal factor.
它同时直接绑定了性别转换因素
I went to my postdoc, Irina.
我去找我的博士后，Irina
"I've got this RNA molecule and no one has really heard of it.
“我有这样一个RNA模型，没人知道它
It is so big, it's going to be almost impossible to study.
它太大了，甚至大到无法研究
How about this for your new project?"
把它作为你的新课题怎么样？”
"Well, let's go for it!"
“这样啊，那我们就做这个吧！”
To set the stage, remember our molecular spools?
做一下铺垫，还记得我们的分子线轴吗？
Always in the know.
要一直记得它
Somehow they knew what was happening,
不知怎么它们知道正在发生什么
always in right place, at the right time.
总是在对的地方，对的时间
How do these spools know what's going on?
这些轴怎么知道正在发生什么呢？
Groups around the world are racing to figure this out.
世界各地的研究小组正在争先恐后地弄懂这个问题
Many think that it could be RNA.
很多人认为有可能是因为DNA
You see, RNA molecules can sense their environment.
你看，RNA分子可以感知它们的环境
They can bind drugs and vitamins.
他们可以结合药物和维生素
If our big RNA molecule were highly structured,
如果我们的大RNA分子是高度结构化的
it could actually talk to those spools,
它真的就可以和那些轴交流
telling them what's happening all around the cell.
告诉它们细胞周边正在发生什么
Like: "Yikes, it's freezing in this part of the cell."
就像：“哎呀，细胞这里冷得要命。“
Or: "Mmm, caffeine in this part of the cell."
或者：”唔，细胞这里有咖啡因。“
Or: "Run for your life. It's a sperm molecule."
或者：“为生命奔跑吧。这是一个精子分子。”
(Laughter)
（笑声）
On the other hand,
或者另一方面来说
if our big RNA had no structure, like a bowl of spaghetti,
如果我们的大RNA是没有结构的，就像一碗通心粉
then all that it could say to the spool would be gobbledygook,
那么它只能对轴说一些官腔
like: "Bo tosh beer job blue Dee ray ahh cock kook nay."
就像：“
(Laughter)
（笑声）
OK, that wasn't gobbledygook.
好吧，这不是官腔
That was the Klingon language from Star Trek, but you get the idea.
那是克林贡语，星际迷航里的，不过你明白意思了
(Applause)
（掌声）
In the end, this is what we found.
在最后，我们发现了这个
Our big RNA molecule had structure everywhere.
我们的大RNA分子在哪里都有结构
25 helices in all, all kinds of interactions.
总体来说是25个螺旋结构，各种相互作用
This is just a baby step,
这只是一小步
but it's a proof of principle that RNA could be the answer.
但这是RNA可以成为答案的证据
RNA molecules have been shown to have links to Alzheimer's and autism,
RNA分子已经展现出与老年痴呆症和自闭症的联系
and epigenetic effects, in general, have strong ties
和一些表观遗传效果，总体来说，会直接联系到
to addiction, depression, schizophrenia.
上瘾，抑郁，精神分裂
Ten years ago, we couldn't fathom how these could be.
十年之前，我们无法弄懂这些
Now, we are taking the first steps.
现在，我们迈出了第一步
Some day, we might understand love,
有一天，我们可能会明白爱情
which brings us back to our question:
我们也就又回到这个问题
how do you know you are in love?
你怎么知道你恋爱了？
We can't answer this yet,
我们还不能回答这个问题
but maybe in the future, when your kids ask you:
但或许在将来，当你的孩子问起你
"How do you know you're in love?"
“你怎么知道你恋爱了？”
you can answer: "It's simple.
你就可以回答：“这很简单啊
When lysine 4
“当在后叶催产素感受器基因的
on histone 3
“组蛋白3上面的
at the oxytocin receptor gene is chemically modified.
“赖氨酸4被化学地修改时，
That's how you know you're in love."
“这样你就知道你恋爱了。“
(Laughter) (Applause)
（笑声）（掌声）
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