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Aug 18, 2023

Researchers study the intricate processes underpinning gene expression

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health, information science, robotics/AI

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 structure into which DNA is packaged—regulate gene expression.

Through the use of machine learning and statistical algorithms, a research team led by Physics Professor Arpita Upadhyaya and National Institutes of Health Senior Investigator Gordon Hager discovered that can switch between a lower and higher mobility state within seconds. The team found that the extent to which chromatin moves inside cells is an overlooked but important process, with the lower mobility state being linked to gene expression.

Notably, (TFs)—proteins that bind specific DNA sequences within the chromatin polymer and turn on or off—exhibit the same mobility as that of the piece of chromatin they are bound to. In their study, the researchers analyzed a group of TFs called , which are targeted by drugs that treat a variety of diseases and conditions.

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