Stem cells have more reserves for DNA replication
Friday, July 17, 2015 - 06:30
in Biology & Nature
In cell division, nothing is as important as the precise replication of billions of genetic letters that make up DNA. Since this genomic integrity is so fundamental to survival, scientists had assumed that replication mechanisms operate the same way in all cells, which depend in part on molecular reserves called dormant origins. However, stem cells—which give rise to many different cell types—have more of these reserves at hand that help them deal with the ill effects of stress, reported Yale researchers on July 16 in the journal Stem Cell Reports.