How Healthy Cells Develop
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Scientists have shed light on how healthy cells develop by identifying the role of key molecules involved.
The components, known as R-loops, are formed during cell development and have been shown to play an important role in the process.
The latest finding overturns previous thinking that R-loops, formed from the genetic material that makes up DNA, were harmful to cells.
Gene regulation
Researchers found that R-loops work together with a group of cell proteins, known as Polycomb, to control genes that are important for development in humans and other mammals.
These genes regulate the fate and function of each cell in the body, for example helping to control whether they become neurons or muscle cells.
Fundamental findings
Findings from the study by University scientists answer fundamental questions about cell biology.
They could also inform research into health conditions that can occur when these processes misfire, and point towards new avenues of research towards drug treatments.
Further research could clarify the role of R-loops in diseases in which they are known to be associated.
These include neurogenerative disorders such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and the developmental condition Fragile X.
Potential research
Future studies may include examining R-loops in developing brain cells, with a view to informing the design of drugs to treat these neurological conditions.
The findings also have important implications for some cancers, which are associated with faulty Polycomb proteins or the over-production of R-loops.
The study, published in Molecular Cell, was carried out in collaboration between the Max Delbruck Centre for Molecular Medicine in Berlin and the University of Edinburgh, supported by Wellcome and the European Research Council.
This article has been republished from materials provided by the University of Edinburgh. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Reference: Konstantina Skourti-Stathaki, Elena Torlai Triglia, Marie Warburton, Philipp Voigt, Adrian Bird, Ana Pombo. 2019. R-Loops Enhance Polycomb Repression at a Subset of Developmental Regulator Genes. Molecular Cell. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2018.12.016.
