Top
image credit: Pixabay

New method boosts the study of regulation of gene activity

July 1, 2022

Category:

One way cells can control the activities of their genes is by adding small chemical modifications to the DNA that determine which genes are turned on or off. Methyl groups are one of these chemical modifications or tags. Researchers have found that in bacteria DNA methylation plays a role in regulating virulence, reproduction and gene expression. In other organisms, including humans, DNA methylation is essential in regulating tissue-specific gene expression, which defines the nature of a cell, for instance, whether it would be a skin cell or a brain cell.

Read More on ScienceDaily