Redundant genetic instructions in 'junk DNA' support healthy development
Friday, July 16, 2010 - 13:28
in Biology & Nature
Seemingly redundant portions of the fruit fly genome may not be so redundant after all. Repeated instructional regions in the flies' DNA may contribute to normal development under less-than-ideal growth conditions by making sure that genes are turned on and off at the appropriate times, according to new research. If similar regions are found in humans, they may hold important clues to understanding developmental disorders.