Tight DNA packaging protects against ‘jumping genes,’ potential cellular destruction
Thursday, September 1, 2016 - 11:01
in Biology & Nature
UNC School of Medicine researchers have found that the major developmental function of heterochromatin – a form of tight DNA packaging found in chromosomes – is likely to suppress activity of virus-like DNA elements known as transposons or “jumping genes,” which can otherwise copy and paste themselves throughout the genome, potentially destroying important genes, and […]