(Phys.org) —Proteins known as histones give structure to DNA, which coils around them like string on spools. But as is so often the case in biology, it turns out there is more to these structures than meets the eye. Scientists ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 25, 2014
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In a cell's nucleus, chromosomal DNA is tightly bound to structural proteins known as histones, an amalgam biologists call chromatin. Until about two decades ago, histones were regarded as a nuclear "sidekick," the mere packing ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 29, 2014
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The "Goldilocks effect" in fruit fly embryos may be more intricate than previously thought. It's been known that specific proteins, called histones, must exist within a certain range—if there are too few, a fruit fly's ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 12, 2014
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(Phys.org) —Monozygotic twins look more similar when they are young than later in life. One of the reasons for this is epigenetic change in the form of chemical modifications of the DNA or its packaging proteins. Environmental ...
Biotechnology
Jun 2, 2014
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Every cell in our body has exactly the same DNA, yet every cell is different. A cell's identity is determined by the subset of genes that it activates. But how does a cell know which genes to turn off and which to turn on? ...
Biotechnology
Mar 13, 2014
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Our DNA and its architecture are duplicated every time our cells divide. Histone proteins are key building blocks of this architecture and contain crucial information that regulates our genes. Danish researchers show how ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 6, 2014
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Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that a molecule called Cul4 helps to deposit DNA-packaging histone proteins onto DNA, an integral step in cramming yards of genetic code into compact coils that can fit into each cell. When ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 7, 2013
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(Phys.org) —Last month, researchers reported the creation of the first primitive brain-like structures made from human stem cells. To create the complex morphology of these cerebral organoids, cells within a proliferating ...
The packaging of a gene has a major impact on its functional state and must be precisely controlled. A novel blend of methods has unveiled the architecture of a large protein complex that modulates DNA packing, and hints ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 16, 2013
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(Phys.org) —The ability of a cell to move, replicate, and recast itself according to the needs of the organism which it serves, comes at it price. The extreme flexibility of cells takes its origin from the constant turnover ...
