The main mystery of super-twisted DNA has been solved
Molecular biologists from the Gladstone Institute in the USA have discovered the mechanism of folding DNA into a compact super-twisted structure, which has long remained unknown. This will help to understand how different proteins regulate the activity of genes, allowing the cell to perform its functions and develop. This is reported in a press release published on the website Phys.org .
When chromosomes are folded, topologically associated domains (TAD) are formed — DNA regions within which genes interact with each other much more often than with other regions.
The researchers found out that one of the main roles in the compaction of genetic material is played by the CTCF protein. Its function was determined by removing the protein from the cells of experimental animals. As a result, genes and regulatory DNA regions within one TAD began to bind to other domains more often. However, this had little effect on the interactions between DNA elements within the domains.
The scientists also examined the compartmentalization of DNA synthesis, in which active genes are separated from inactive ones inside the cell nucleus. It was believed that the boundaries of TAD were involved in this process, but the destruction of CTCF did not affect this in any way, which indicates the presence of an unknown mechanism.
According to the researchers, the results obtained will help to find out the causes of some diseases, including cancer and birth defects.
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22.05.2017