Following the complete sequencing of the human genome there remain layers of unresolved mysteries as to how genetic materials are regulated, but a group of Academia Sinica scientists recently shed some new light as to how certain genetic expressions may be switched on or off.
The team, led by Academia Sinica's Institute of Biological Chemistry director Tsai Ming-Daw (蔡明道) and Juan Li-jung (阮麗蓉), an assistant research fellow at Academia Sinica's genomics research center, is due to publish the results in Nature magazine, an international science weekly.
"In addition to DNA sequences, epigenetic regulation also plays a role in genetic expressions," Juan told the Taipei Times in a telephone interview last night.
Epigenetic regulation refers to the different genetic expressions the same DNA sequence may incur because of a change in the histone proteins, which are wrapped around DNA sequences, Juan said.
For example, normally tumor suppressors in our nuclei are turned on. However, an alteration in the histone protein around the suppressors may cause it to be turned off, causing a cancer to form, she said.
Though the team's research target RBP2 -- an enzyme and a histone modifier -- was discovered years ago, the team is the first to have successfully found the specific DNA sequence that it recognized, she said.
"This is exciting because hundreds of histone modifiers have been identified, but few are known to recognize specific DNA sequences," she said. "It is significant that with random sequencing tools producing thousands of DNA sequences, we proved when associated with CCGCCC, RBP2 acts as a histone demethylase and removes trimethyl groups attached to histones ... confirming that histones with three methyl groups act as optional modifiers of the DNA sequence."
Juan said many cancer patients have abnormally high RBP2 levels in their cells, which is a clue that the enzyme may be the culprit.
However, "it is all speculation until further evidence is found," she said.
The team's next step is to find out exactly which gene RBP2 is associated with, she said.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
Fast food chain McDonald's is to raise prices by up to NT$5 on some products at its restaurants across Taiwan, starting on Wednesday next week, the company announced today. The prices of all extra value meals and sharing boxes are to increase by NT$5, while breakfast combos and creamy corn soup would go up by NT$3, the company said in a statement. The price of the main items of those meals, if ordered individually, would remain the same. Meanwhile, the price of a medium-sized lemon iced tea and hot cappuccino would rise by NT$3, extra dipping sauces for chicken nuggets would go up
Yangmingshan National Park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) nature area has gone viral after a park livestream camera observed a couple in the throes of intimate congress, which was broadcast live on YouTube, drawing large late-night crowds and sparking a backlash over noise, bright lights and disruption to wildlife habitat. The area’s livestream footage appeared to show a couple engaging in sexual activity on a picnic table in the park on Friday last week, with the uncensored footage streamed publicly online. The footage quickly spread across social media, prompting a tide of visitors to travel to the site to “check in” and recreate the
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
RSS