Moving genes about could help cells to respond to change according to scientists. Changing the location of a gene within a cell alters its activity. Like mixing music, different locations can make a gene 'louder' or 'quieter', with louder genes contributing more actively to the life of a cell.
Contrary to expectations, this latest study reveals that each gene doesn't have an ideal location in the cell nucleus. Instead, genes are always on the move. Published in the journal Nature, researchers examined the organisation of genes in stem cells from mice. They revealed that these cells continually remix their genes, changing their positions as they progress though different stages. This work, which has also inspired a musical collaboration, suggests that moving genes about in this way could help cells to fine-tune the volume of each gene to suit the cell's needs.
Scientists had believed that the location of genes in cells are relatively fixed with each gene having it's rightful place. Different types of cells could organize their genes in different ways, but genes weren't thought to move around much except when cells divide. This is the first time that gene organization in individual cells has been studied in detail. The results provide snapshots of gene organization, with each cell arranging genes in unique ways.
Lead author said: "We typically see that changes to gene activity have a great impact on health, disease and evolution. It's now obvious that genome organization may have a part to play in this and our research shows that the effects of location on genes may be a constantly moving target. Understanding how the genome is controlled during this constant re-shuffling is an important step towards understanding how our genomes and genes effect our lives."
The team now plan to examine whether changing the locations of genes actually has a significant effect on the volume of each gene and to study different types of cells to understand whether they move genes about less once they stop dividing or if all cells behave like stem cells do.
http://www.babraham.ac.uk/news/2017/07/genetic-dj-growing-cells-remix-their-genes
https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v547/n7661/full/nature23001.html
Latest News
Hyperactivation of memory c…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Maternal obesity may promot…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
The neuronal basis of opioi…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Circadian clock can be leve…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Connecting genetic risk for…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Other Top Stories
Reducing serious epileptic seizures in children
Read more
How the brain makes a difficult decision
Read more
Neuronal feedback from below the site of spinal cord injury is esse…
Read more
Sugar entering hippocampus may lead to memory loss in septic shock
Read more
Predicting obesity with GPS (Genome-wide Polygenic Score )
Read more
Protocols
Accessible high-speed image…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
SEMORE: SEgmentation and MO…
By newseditor
Posted 26 May
Spatially resolved lipidomi…
By newseditor
Posted 24 May
Efficient expansion and CRI…
By newseditor
Posted 21 May
Massively parallel in vivo…
By newseditor
Posted 20 May
Publications
Phase locking of hippocampa…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Interactions between physic…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Lipid-associated macrophage…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Maternal obesity increases…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
Why cells need iron: a comp…
By newseditor
Posted 30 May
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