NEW YORK: Researchers, including an Indian-origin
scientist, have created a three-dimensional (3D) map of human genomes to reveal
their folding patterns and hidden switches that can turn on deadly disease
causing genes.
The map revealed a structural basis for gene regulation - a kind of " genomic origami" that allows the same genome to produce different types of cells.
"More and more, we are realising that folding is regulation," said study co-first author Suhas Rao, a researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine in the US.
"When you see genes turn on or off, what lies behind that is a change in folding. It's a different way of thinking about how cells work," Rao added.
The map revealed a structural basis for gene regulation - a kind of " genomic origami" that allows the same genome to produce different types of cells.
"More and more, we are realising that folding is regulation," said study co-first author Suhas Rao, a researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine in the US.
"When you see genes turn on or off, what lies behind that is a change in folding. It's a different way of thinking about how cells work," Rao added.
For the study, the researchers used a technology called "in situ Hi-C" to collect billions of snippets of DNA that were later analysed for signs of loops.
"Our maps of looping have revealed thousands of hidden
switches that scientists did not know about before. In the case of genes that
can cause cancer or other diseases, knowing where these switches are is
vital," said co-author Miriam Huntley, a doctoral student at
the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
The research appeared online in the journal Cell.
The research appeared online in the journal Cell.
