Some sequences in the genome cause genes to be switched on or off. Until now, each of these gene switches, or so-called enhancers, was thought to have its own place on the DNA.
University of BonnNov 22 2024 Different enhancers are therefore separated from each other, even if they control the same gene, and switch it on in different parts of the body. A recent study from the University of Bonn and the LMU Munich challenges this idea. The findings are also important because gene switches are thought to play a central role in evolution. The study has been published in the journal Science Advances.
Some of these regulatory sequences, called 'enhancers', work like dimmer switches used to modulate the light in our living room. Indeed, they specifically increase the expression of a particular gene, where and when this gene is required. Genes controlling morphology often respond to several independent enhancers, each determining the expression of the gene in a different body part.
The researchers studied how a gene called yellow is regulated in the fruit fly Drosophila. This gene causes the insect to produce the brownish pigment melanin. There are a number of enhancers that control the activity of yellow. One of them, for example, is responsible for the pigmentation of the maggots' teeth, while another is responsible for the formation of the striped pattern on the fly's abdomen.
Related StoriesThe results suggest that the architecture of regulatory sequences in the genome is much more complex than previously thought. This has far-reaching implications for how traits change during evolution. According to current knowledge, enhancers play a key role in this process.
DNA Evolution Gene Expression Genes Genome Mutation Research
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