A group coordinated by the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste has built a three-dimensional computer model of the human genome. The shape of DNA (as well as its sequence) significantly affects biological processes and is therefore crucial for understanding its function.
This new study has provided a first three-dimensional, approximate but realistic, identikit of the human genome. Thanks to the characteristics of the new method, the structural reconstruction based on both experimental information and statistical methods will be refined as new experimental data become available. The study, carried out in collaboration with the University of Oslo, has just been published in Scientific Reports
The shape of the DNA strand can be highly complex, given that the chromosomes are loosely arranged in an apparently chaotic tangle in the cell nucleus. Since the shape of chromosomes may have a decisive effect on their function, it is important that it should be characterised, in part because scientists think the DNA tangle in the nucleus is only apparently chaotic and that it has instead a specific “geography” for each tissue and stage of cell life.
The genome plays a central role in the functions of almost all human cells – and flaws in its structure are thought to cause various disorders, including cancer.
Understanding the structure of the genome is crucial to understanding its function as a whole, said Lin Chen, professor of molecular biology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
“Everything biological works in the three dimensions,” Chen said. “Therefore, to understand it completely, you have to understand it three-dimensionally.”
The genome inside a cell can be thought of as a bowl of angel hair pasta. Different cells are like different bowls of pasta in which the noodles are organized differently overall, but they share certain features.
The technique adds a crucial piece of the puzzle for scientists trying to understand the genome – the cornerstone of life – in normal and diseased cells. One of the most likely applications of this research will be to identify potentially cancerous cells based on structural defects in the cell’s genome, Chen said.
“Hopefully in the future, these studies allow scientists to better understand how the genome is involved in disease and how its function can be regulated in those circumstances,” Chen said.
New approach allows researchers to peer inside the nucleus of a cell, and may offer insights into the causes of cancer.
Credit :USC & SISSA