Proteins barge in to turn off unneeded genes
Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 05:00
in Biology & Nature
(Phys.org)—The sorcerer's apprentice started a water-carrying system, but couldn't stop it, and soon he was up to his neck in water, and trouble. Living cells have a better design: When they activate a gene, they have a system in reserve to turn it off. The cell does not want to waste energy making proteins it no longer needs. Cornell researchers have identified two mechanisms cells use and found they are designed to be quick.