FMI researchers have identified a new genetic switch that regulates essential genes in the mouse and the human genome.
FMI researchers have identified a new genetic switch that regulates essential genes in the mouse and the human genome. Proteins known as transcription factors act as switches that regulate the expression of nearby genes, but the identity of some of these genetic levers has so far remained mysterious. Now, researchers from the Schübeler group have pinpointed a new switch that regulates essential genes in the mouse and the human genome. Identifying missing gene switches and their function is critical to fully understand the molecular basis of health and disease. If the human genome were a company, transcription factors would be the top-level managers, controlling when and how much genes are turned on in specific cells. These proteins typically bind short strings of DNA called 'motifs'. Scientists estimate that there are up to 2,800 transcription factors, but binding motifs have been identified for only about 800 of them.
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