New nucleosome mapping method developed

BOSTON, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have developed a new and more powerful method of mapping the positions of nucleosomes throughout the human genome.

The researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston say their new mapping tool might help uncover important clues for understanding and diagnosing cancer and other diseases, as well as shedding 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.

Dr. David Fisher, lead investigator, said the study presents the first global view of human nucleosome positioning, Fisher noted analyses of the same type had been pioneered in simpler organisms such as yeast, but those approaches were not feasible when applied to the massively larger and more complex human genome.

The findings appear in the journal Nature Biotechnology, which has published the paper as an advanced online publication.