‘Junk’ DNA now looks like powerful regulator

April 25, 2007 | Source: Physorg.com

Large swaths of garbled human DNA once dismissed as junk appear to contain some valuable sections, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of California-Santa Cruz.

The scientists propose that this redeemed DNA plays a role in controlling when genes turn on and off.

It turns out that most of the segments described in the research paper cluster near genes that play a carefully orchestrated role during an animal’s first few weeks after conception. These sequences may help in the intricate choreography of when and where those genes flip on as the animal lays out its body plan.

In particular, the researchers found the sequences to be especially abundant near genes that help cells stick together. These genes play a crucial role early in an animal’s life, helping cells migrate to the correct location or form into organs and tissues of the correct shape.