Living cells are one of the few materials that can replicate themselves, and this is crucial for tissue development and recovery from injury or illness. But making sure cell division only happens at the right time is essential; otherwise, unregulated replication can lead to problems like cancer.

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, are studying how cells know when and how to divide, and how genes known to be important in cancer influence these processes.

A new study published in The EMBO Journal finds that a gene affected in many cancers, known as E2F1, can cause cells to divide without having to abide by the normal rules of cell division. Instead of having to unpack the genetic material inside the cell, E2F1 takes a shortcut by binding directly to a small area of the DNA that remains tightly packaged inside the cell.