Darwinians objecting to Michael Behe’s Irreducible Complexity appeal to indirect “scaffolding” or Roman Arch routes that support the assembly and are later discarded. Now research shows cancer is caused by mutations in the CARD11 gene that forms a cytoplasmic scaffolding docking site for a signaling molecule.
If mutations in genes forming known scaffolding lead to cancer, why should we believe that numerous mutations needed to form genes to make hypothetical scaffolding will create properly functioning irreducible complex systems?
See: This Week in Science SCIENCE, Volume 319, Issue 5870, March 21 2008
“Faulty Scaffolding and Cancer
Differentiation, survival, and growth of B cells requires proper functioning of the nuclear factor- B (NF-
B) signaling pathway, including CARD11, a cytoplasmic scaffolding protein that serves as a docking site for signaling molecules. Lenz et al. (p. 1676, published online 6 March) have discovered that a certain subtype of diffuse large B cell lymphoma, the most common form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in humans, is caused by mutations in the CARD11 gene. In cell culture experiments, these mutant forms of CARD11 caused inappropriate activation of the NF-
B pathway.”
DOI: 10.1126/science.1153629
Further food for thought:
Is this well regulated system irreducibly complex?
If not, which came first, the docking site or the signaling molecule?
PS Or does the play on the meaning of “Scaffolding” invalidate the argument?