BOSTON, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said Tuesday they have mapped key points in the human genome which may lead to therapies for cancer and other diseases.
The doctors at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass. described how they can chart positions of key gene-regulating molecules called nucleosomes throughout the human genome.
In a paper published online by Nature Biotechnology, David Fisher, head of Dana-Farber's Melanoma Program and professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, utilized gene microarray studies followed by sophisticated computational data analysis to pin down the nucleosome locations.
The mapping tool could help uncover important clues for understanding and diagnosing cancer and other diseases, Fisher said. He also said it may shed light on the role of nucleosomes in the process of "reprogramming" an adult cell to its original embryonic state, which is a critical operation in cloning.
"This study presents the first global view of human nucleosome positioning," said Fisher.
Nucleosomes are spherical packing units for DNA. They consist of a length of DNA wrapped around a core, like ribbon around a spool that is made up of proteins called histones, and the nucleosomes are located along the chromosomes like beads on a string.
These results suggest that nucleosome positioning controls the turning genes on or off, and that the nucleosomes can relocate if the needs of the particular cell change.
