Discovery offers hope to better understand how diseases like cancer, premature aging can be prevented. Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have identified a new mechanism by which a protein known for repairing damaged DNA also protects the integrity of DNA by preserving its structural shape. The discovery, involving the protein 53BP1, offers insight into understanding how...
Tag: <span>DNA</span>
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Secondary structures in DNA are associated with cancer
by Lila Reynolds, Northwestern University Credit: CC0 Public Domain A new cancer study reports that DNA manifested as knot-like folds and third rungs between DNA’s two strands may drive cancer development, and an important regulatory enzyme could be associated with the formation of these unusual structures. Scientists from Northwestern Medicine and the La Jolla Institute for...
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Redefining human diseases through the lens of DNA
by Osaka University Fig.1 Overview of this study. We performed 220 deep-phenotype genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in BioBank Japan, then performed trans-biobank meta-analyses with UK Biobank and FinnGen (ntotal = 628,000). As downstream analyses, we performed (i) cross-population comparisons of pleiotropy and genetic correlations, (ii) comprehensive HLA fine-mapping, and (iii) statistical decomposition of a matrix...
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COVID Queries: Altered DNA and microchips
by Amanda Dyslin Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Q: I’ve heard some theories circulating about the COVID-19 vaccine, including that it was developed to control the general population through microchip tracking or “nanotransducers” in our brains. I’ve also heard that it will alter my DNA. Are these theories true? A: No, those assertions are false. “There...
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Research provides evidence for how a key transcription factor manages access to DNA
ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL IMAGE: CHUNLIANG LI, PH.D., ST. JUDE DEPARTMENT OF TUMOR CELL BIOLOGY CREDIT: ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL CTCF is a transcription factor that has been a research target due to its role in regulating a critical oncogene called MYC. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have found direct evidence that CTCF governs chromatin accessibility, the process of opening...
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New discovery shows human cells can write RNA sequences into DNA
by Thomas Jefferson University Credit: CC0 Public Domain Cells contain machinery that duplicates DNA into a new set that goes into a newly formed cell. That same class of machines, called polymerases, also build RNA messages, which are like notes copied from the central DNA repository of recipes, so they can be read more efficiently into...
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Harvard gene-editing tool “sneaks” DNA into cells without making cuts
By Michael Irving May 03, 2021 A new genetic engineering tool called Retron Library Recombineering (RLR) could be a cleaner alternative to CRISPR CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary gene-editing tool, but it’s not without its downsides. Now, scientists at Harvard have demonstrated an alternative genetic engineering system called Retron Library Recombineering (RLR), which works without cutting DNA...
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Beyond changing DNA itself, mutagens also cause errors in gene transcription
Exposure to mutagens, or mutation-causing agents, can not only bring about changes in DNA but also appear to induce errors when genes are transcribed to make proteins, which may be an important factor in age-related diseases. USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Assistant Professor Marc Vermulst and colleagues made the discovery by using state-of-the-art circle sequencing techniques...
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Proteins unspool DNA so cells can take on unique properties
Biologists have long wondered how complex organisms contain a variety of dramatically different types of cells with specialized functions, even though all of those cells are genetically identical. New research reveals how proteins, called “pioneer transcription factors,” help turn on key genes that give cell types their unique properties and functions. These pioneer factors, it turns out,...
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Researchers use deep learning to identify gene regulation at single-cell level
Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have developed a new deep-learning framework that predicts gene regulation at the single-cell level. Deep learning, a family of machine-learning methods based on artificial neural networks, has revolutionized applications such as image interpretation, natural language processing and autonomous driving. In a study published recently in Science Advances, UCI researchers describe how...