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Epigenetic Switch Found to Activate Genes in Embryos

Researchers led by the Institute of Molecular Biology have found that 5-formylcytosine (5fC), a DNA alteration, acts as an activating epigenetic switch to activate genes during the early stages of embryonic development.

19 Sep 2024

Ribose-Water Interactions Stabilize RNA Structures

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biological molecule that plays an important part in organismal genetics as well as the creation and development of life.

11 Sep 2024

A Landmark Study Reveals the Widespread Existence of DNA i-Motifs

Innovative study of DNA's hidden structures may open up new approaches for treatment and diagnosis of diseases, including cancer.

30 Aug 2024

CDCA7's Role in DNA Methylation Maintenance Revealed in Recent Study

DNA methylation is a process in which a methyl group is attached to the cytosine base of the DNA molecule, and a major way that DNA is epigenetically marked. Epigenetic modifications can act as on-off switches to regulate gene expression and help generate diverse cell types without changing the underlying DNA sequence. It is how the body ensures that brain-related genes don't get turned on in heart cells, for example.

28 Aug 2024

The Role of DNA Repair Pathways in Antibody Somatic Hypermutation

In a recent online publication in SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences, researchers from the laboratory of Leng-Siew Yeap at the Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine published a review article entitled "Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Lesion and Repair During Antibody Somatic Hypermutation". This review comprehensively summarizes the mechanisms involved in the generation of antigen-specific diversified antibodies, with a particular focus on the mechanisms that generate high-frequency point mutations and low-frequency deletions and insertions (indels) in antibody genes.

22 Aug 2024

Graph Neural Networks: A Novel Approach to Deciphering Gene-Enhancer Interactions

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have developed a new computational method for linking molecular marks on our DNA to gene activity.

4 Jun 2024

Multiplexed Orthogonal Base Editors for Precise Mutation Modeling

The human genome consists of around 3 billion base pairs and humans are all 99.6% identical in their genetic makeup.

23 May 2024

Study Reveals the Surprising Role of Spliceosomes in Introns' Journey

Although you may not appreciate them, or have even heard of them, throughout your body, countless microscopic machines called spliceosomes are hard at work.

13 May 2024

Scientists Crack the Code for Artificial DNA

The genetic code is composed of just four letters representing the four nucleotides, which are the fundamental building blocks of DNA.

14 Dec 2023

DNA Methylation Enables Plants Adapt in a Warm World

Plants increasingly need to adapt quickly to preserve their existence as global warming continues to reshape ecosystems.

13 Oct 2023

Study Uncovers Epigenetic Mechanism in the Regulation of Phytopathogenic Fungal Virulence

This study is led by Dr Cheng-Guo Duan (Center of Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences).

25 Sep 2023

Epstein-Barr Virus Epigenome Targeted for Potential Cancer Treatment

Now, scientists at The Wistar Institute have discovered a potential target for gastric cancers associated with Epstein-Barr Virus; study results were published in the journal mBio.

23 Aug 2023

Researchers Lead Innovative Studies on Mammalian Aging and Life Span

Scientists at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Health led an international research team that published two articles detailing changes in DNA – changes that researchers found are shared by humans and other mammals throughout history and are associated with life span and numerous other traits.

11 Aug 2023

New AI-Assisted Methods to Discover Novel Deaminase Proteins with Unique Functions

At the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, GAO Caixia’s group has introduced the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted techniques to find out novel deaminase proteins with special functions via structural prediction and classification.

28 Jun 2023

Heat-Damaged DNA in Food Linked to Possible Genetic Risks

Researchers have newly discovered a surprising and potentially significant reason why eating foods frequently cooked at high temperatures, such as red meat and deep-fried fare, elevates cancer risk. The alleged culprit: DNA within the food that's been damaged by the cooking process.

14 Jun 2023