The role of H3K9 in bringing order to the nucleus

(Phys.org)—Scientists from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research have elucidated the histone modifications that lead to the sequestration of silent genes at the nuclear periphery. In a study published ...

A molecular plaster to repair DNA

All cells are confronted with DNA damage, for example by exposure of the skin to UV rays, chemical byproducts of nerve cells consuming sugar, or immune cells destroying bacteria. If these DNA lesions are not - or badly - ...

Thwarting cellular enzyme can fight viral infections

FMI researchers have identified a synthetic protein that dampens the activity of a cellular pathway involved in viral infection. The findings could help to develop drugs that combat viruses such as influenza A and Zika.

A new mechanism for accessing damaged DNA

UV light damages the DNA of skin cells, which can lead to skin cancer. But this process is counteracted by DNA repair machinery, acting as a molecular sunscreen. It has been unclear, however, how repair proteins work on DNA ...

Preventing the spread of repression

Scientists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research have identified a novel and unexpected regulatory activity of RNA at the edge of inactive chromosomal regions. In their publication in Nature Structural ...

Untying DNA knots

Structural biologists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research have resolved the 3D structure of a protein machine that plays an important part in the maintenance of genomic stability. They have revealed ...

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