Related topics: genes · cells · gene expression · stem cells · dna sequences

A better understanding of gene regulation in embryonic stem cells

During the first hours of an embryo's development, specialized molecules called pioneer transcription factors unravel parts of its DNA to activate the encoded genes. Which gene is activated and when has to follow a set schedule ...

Study clarifies how 'junk DNA' influences gene expression

For decades, scientists have known that, despite its name, "junk DNA" in fact plays a critical role: While the coding genes provide blueprints for building proteins, which direct most of the body's functions, some of the ...

Researchers study the intricate processes underpinning gene expression

A new study led by University of Maryland physicists sheds light on the cellular processes that regulate genes. Published in the journal Science Advances, the paper explains how the dynamics of a polymer called chromatin—the ...

Weaker transcription factors are better when they work together

Bioengineers can tailor the genomes of cells to create "cellular therapies" that fight disease, but they have found it difficult to design specialized activating proteins called transcription factors that can throw the switch ...

Hitting reset to start a new embryo

New work by scientists in the U.S. and China shows how a fertilized egg cell, or zygote, hits "reset" so that the newly formed embryo can develop according to its own genetic program. The study was published July 17 in Nature.

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