Scientists discover the mechanism of DNA high-order structure formation
Thursday, January 23, 2020 - 09:20
in Biology & Nature
The genetic material of our cells—DNA—exists in a high-order structure called chromatin. Chromatin consists of DNA wrapped around histone proteins and efficiently packs DNA into a small volume. Moreover, using a spool and thread analogy, chromatin allows DNA to be locally wound or unwound, thus enabling genes to be enclosed or exposed. The misregulation of chromatin structures results in aberrant gene expression and can ultimately lead to developmental disorders or cancers. Despite the importance of DNA high-order structures, the complexity of the underlying machinery has circumvented molecular dissection.