Someday, scientists may be able to prevent cancer by controlling two proteins that operate deep inside the quagmire of epigenetic cell fate transitions, a new paper suggests.
Published by Nature, the article describes a dynamic push and pull between the proteins ANP32E and H2AZ. Their relationship is significant because too little of H2AZ promotes cell division and aggressive tumors, while high levels of H2AZ promotes chaos and metastatic cancer -- and ANP32E acts as a "chaperone" that directs H2AZ, said the study's corresponding author.
Abundant levels of H2AZ are often found in people with breast and brain cancer and melanoma.
With a "normal" amount of H2AZ, healthy cells can turn off the signals that permit cancer cells to divide and tumors to grow.
Scientists and cancer patients are learning what biological factors influence inherited gene changes and predisposition to diseases, and how lifestyle behaviors passed down through generations and chemical exposures can also switch the function of genes and lead to cancer and other illnesses.
The core of epigenetics is understanding how two cells can have the same DNA but have different functions in the body. The work in the lab adds a critical bit of information as scientists clamor to find the factors that activate or silence genes during cell transitions.
The lab showed that when they eliminated ANP32E from connective tissue of mice, H2AZ spreads wildly. Therefore, if researchers can find a way to inhibit ANP32E and control the H2AZ protein in humans, it might make cancer cells more sensitive to anti-cancer drugs or immune-system attack.
Taking advantage of advanced technology, researchers can study cell transitions in specific regions of DNA. The team was able to hone in on exactly how ANP32E and H2AZ coordinate to control DNA activity and cellular instructions.
The "precise control of ANP32E levels and H2A positioning may be critical for preventing carcinogenesis," the paper stated. "Thus, it will be important for future studies to investigate the mechanisms described here in the context of human diseases, including cancer."
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/one-way-to-prevent-cancer-map-the-fundamentals-of-how-cells-go-awry
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-18821-x
http://sciencemission.com/site/index.php?page=news&type=view&id=publications%2Fgenome-wide-chromatin&filter=22
How proteins control accessibility of chromatin to regulate cancer growth
- 1,071 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
How protein synthesis in de…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Atlas of mRNA variants in d…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Mapping microbiome in metas…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Full-length mRNA packaged i…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Glucose-sensing mechanism t…
By newseditor
Posted 21 Apr
Other Top Stories
Exposure to chemical mixtures during pregnancy alters brain develop…
Read more
Making human brain stem cells grow for longer periods
Read more
A single transcription factor reprograms astrocytes in mouse striatum
Read more
Converting human stem cells to 8-cell totipotent embryo-like cells
Read more
AI and high content screening uncover hidden signatures of Parkinso…
Read more
Protocols
A programmable targeted pro…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
MemPrep, a new technology f…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
A tangible method to assess…
By newseditor
Posted 08 Apr
Stem cell-derived vessels-o…
By newseditor
Posted 06 Apr
Single-cell biclustering fo…
By newseditor
Posted 01 Apr
Publications
Long-term neuropsychologica…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Apr
Neuronal activity rapidly r…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
A perspective on muscle phe…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Foxp1 suppresses cortical a…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Single-cell long-read seque…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Apr
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar