How genes are controlled

An international team of scientists has studied extensively on the human genome, and discovered how genes are controlled in mammals, and the smallest genetic component ever known.

Their findings were published in three papers in Nature Genetics.

The study is a collaboration between the RIKEN Yokohama Omics Science Center, Japan, which is part of the FANTOM4 program, and researchers from the University of Queensland's Institute of Molecular Biotechnology.

Doctor PhD student Ruan Taft is the one who leads an article, with the main author, Professor John Mattick, and Professor Sean Grimmond, the lead author of another article, directed by Dr. Geoff Faulkner.

Professor John Mattick said: 'FANTOM4 shows that instead of having some' main control 'genes controlling growth and development, a network of complex control components affects gene expression in Different cells in the body '.

This information will be very useful for medical and biological researchers, said Professor Sean Grimmond.

'We can use this discovery to discover how cells transform from rapidly growing' empty 'cells to mature cells with a certain function. This will help us determine why some genes are cancerous, and how to control stem cells in regenerative medicine. '

The researchers discovered how genes are controlled in mammals, and the smallest genetic component ever known.(Photo: iStockphoto / Eric Gevaert)

One of the articles describes the detection of very small RNAs, the smallest known genetic component, involved in the expression of a single gene. Such an RNA is only 18 nucleotides long, 100 times smaller than an average gene.

Taft said: 'Previous researchers have noticed the length of RNA in the genome, but think it is the part that separates from a larger genetic component'.

'We found that this genetic component is too common and is distributed too specifically. They are related to activating genes, and may play a role in gene activation. Once we can understand their role, we hope to be able to use these tiny RNAs to control gene expression. '

RNA is a molecule similar to DNA that decodes genetic information in DNA to proteins, and in the case of very small RNAs, they can control longer RNA molecules before they are decoded to proteins.

Another article investigates retrotransposons, genetic components that move around the genome and leaves their copies.

Dr Faulkner said: 'We believe that retrotransposons only work in cancer cells or cells that convert into eggs or sperm. The results show that retrotransposons are no longer able to move around the genome present in many cell types, and thus control the expression of nearby genes'.

Refer:
1. Faulkner et al. Đã xác định các sự chuyển đổi được chuyển đổi bản ảnh của mammalian cells. Nature Genetics, 2009; DOI: 10.1038 / ng.368
2. Suzuki et al. Tập tin chuyển đổi giao dịch, sự chế độ phát triển và định nghĩa trong một đường dẫn người dùng phụ đề Nature Genetics, 2009; DOI: 10.1038 / ng.375
3. Taft et al.Tiny RNAs tương ứng với chuyển đổi đầu trang đầu tiên trong các trường.Nature Genetics, 2009;DOI: 10.1038 / ng.312