Jumping genes in bdelloid rotifers are tamped down by DNA methylation performed by an enzyme pilfered from bacteria roughly 60 million years ago, a study finds.
Courtesy of Richard Roberts, New England BiolabsModel methylation reaction: Cytosine nucleotide (red) is flipped out of the DNA double helix by a methyltransferase (white), so it can be methylated. The end product after the methyl group has been transferred to the DNA is pictured in green. A tenuous link between DNA methylation and development has existed for several years. Now findings substantiate the connection. Researchers have found the first human diseases caused by defects in the DNA meth
Studies The Scientist covered this year illustrate the expanding importance of genetic and genomic research in all aspects of life science, from ecology to medicine.
Gidi Rechavi, Chuan He, and Dan Dominissini | Jan 1, 2016 | 10 min read
DNA isn’t the only decorated nucleic acid in the cell. Modifications to RNA molecules are much more common and are critical for regulating diverse biological processes.
Clinical trials that target human endogenous retroviruses to treat multiple sclerosis, ALS, and other ailments are underway, but many questions remain about how these sequences may disrupt our biology.