Chromatin News and Research

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Research Pinpoints HMGN1 as Cause of Trisomy 21-Related Heart Abnormalities

Three copies of chromosome 21 causes Down syndrome (DS), and roughly half of children born each year in the United States with DS-approximately 2,600-also have congenital heart defects (CHDs).

23 Oct 2025

Actin Scaffold Protects Cancer Cell Nuclei Under Mechanical Stress

Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS have demonstrated that an actin scaffold stabilizes the cell nucleus upon mechanical stress.

30 Sep 2025

New Research Challenges the Static View of Chromosome Shape

An international team of researchers from the Francis Crick Institute, Imperial College London, Waseda University, and the Cancer Institute of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research has reshaped the concept of chromosome shape, discovering that they are not always stable X-shaped structures but are constantly in flux as cell division occurs.

24 Sep 2025

Chromatin Accessibility Shapes Growth and Stress Response in Blue Mold

Blue mold, caused by Penicillium expansum, is one of the most destructive postharvest diseases, leading to economic losses across fruit supply chains.

23 Sep 2025

Loss of Zfy Genes Explains Why Some Sperm Fail

A study at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa by researchers from the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) found that losing a crucial male fertility gene causes infertility and alters the expression of hundreds of other genes.

17 Sep 2025

Microarray Profiling Identifies LINC00974 as a Sensitive Marker for Breast Cancer Risk

In the post-genomic era, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators in various cancers and hold potential as minimally invasive diagnostic biomarkers.

16 Sep 2025

Genetic On-Off Switch for Cilia Formation Uncovered

Some might say it looks like a finger. Others might see a worm. Scientists in the field often liken it to an antenna. The technical name is primary cilium.

2 Sep 2025

Exploring the Regulatory Potential of "Junk DNA"

The non-coding genome, once referred to as "junk DNA," is now understood to be a fundamental regulator of gene expression and a key factor in understanding complex diseases.

25 Aug 2025

Epigenetic Noise Enables Cells to Shift Identity and Influence Immunity

All cells in the body contain the same DNA, but different cell types express different genes; skin cells express genes for the skin, liver cells express liver genes, and so on.

21 Aug 2025

Single-Cell Map Reveals Epigenomic Regulation of Human Fat Tissue

A new study has created the first single-cell map of how DNA is regulated and organized inside different cell-types of human fat tissue.

21 Aug 2025

New Tool Offers Insight Into When Genes Turn On and Off in the Brain

A Yale research team has created a new computer tool that can pinpoint when exactly genes turn on and off over time during brain development - a finding that may one day help doctors identify the optimal window to deploy gene therapy treatments.

20 Aug 2025

Researchers Uncover How Macrophages Respond to Infection Stress

Fighting infections requires speed and accuracy. A team of researchers from CeMM and MedUni Vienna, led by Christoph Bock and Matthias Farlik, explored how macrophages—the body’s initial responders—handle this stress.

11 Aug 2025

Plant Genetics Research Reveals Dynamic and Diverse Centromere Behavior

Cell division is an essential process by which living organisms grow, replenish lost cells, and regenerate dead and damaged tissues.

8 Aug 2025

How DNA Packaging Shapes p53 Activity

Each cell in our bodies carries about two meters of DNA in its nucleus, packed into a tiny volume of just a few hundred cubic micrometers-about a millionth of a milliliter.

28 Jul 2025

Scientists Uncover How New Genes Are Switched On in Fruit Flies

Most genes are ancient and shared across species. But a small subset of genes are relative newcomers, spontaneously emerging from stretches of DNA that once encoded nothing at all.

14 Jul 2025

Understanding DNA's Complex 3D Architecture in the Cell

Investigating chromatin's 3D architecture reveals its influence on gene regulation, shedding light on mechanisms underlying cancer and muscular dystrophy.

14 Jul 2025

Scientists Reveal Molecular Battle Between Maternal and Paternal Genes in Bees

Despite having identical genetic instructions, female honey bee larvae can develop into either long-lived reproductive queens or short-lived sterile workers who help rear their sisters rather than laying their own eggs.

23 Jun 2025

Histone Variant H2AZ1 Identified as Key Driver of Stem Cell Aging

Cellular senescence-a state of irreversible growth arrest accompanied by chronic inflammation-is a major contributor to aging and tissue degeneration.

18 Jun 2025

Study Identifies SMARCB1 and MEOX2 Genes as Growth Regulators of Lung Cancers

A Cancer Gene Therapy study reveals that MEOX2 promotes lung cancer progression while SMARCB1 acts as a tumor suppressor, influencing EGFR expression and response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

30 May 2025

Study Reveals How APOE Isoforms Impact Brain Microglia

A study reveals how APOE isoforms influence microglial activity in Alzheimer's, highlighting the need for targeted interventions based on genetic risk factors.

28 May 2025