Heterochromatin refers to the tightly packed and condensed DNA found in a cell's nucleus. It is responsible for silencing or deactivating certain genes, preventing them from being expressed.
The role of heterochromatin in the protection of mammalian centromere cohesion has long been controversial. (embor.embopress.org)
These endo - siRNAs might play a role in heterochromatin formation. (sdbonline.org)
In other work, the lab is exploring the mechanisms of heterochromatin formation and gene silencing through the study of a protein complex called RNA - induced initiation of transcriptional gene silencing (RITS). (cshl.edu)