Some RNA
molecules switch genes on and off, for example, whereas others bind to proteins and other molecules.
Not exact matches
They analyzed the results to identify where the DNA had decorations called methylation —
molecules attached that
switch the
gene on or off.
Keith Pardee, a colleague of Collins, improved the test by inserting tailor - made
gene switches that prevent any colour change happening unless a very specific target
molecule is present.
The surprises are apparently far from over: Another kind of RNA can detect levels of small
molecules that help a cell run smoothly, and
switch genes on or off depending on the cell's needs.
DNA methylation is an epigenetic process in which small
molecules — methyl groups - are added to
genes and fine - tune the
gene's activity, like a dimmer
switch.
The alteration of
gene activity, called epigenetics, might result from modification of RNA
molecules that interact with
genes; a modification of the packaging that carries DNA; molecular
switches attached directly to the DNA itself; or even something to do with the cell's power - stations, the mitochondria, Baugh said.
MicroRNAs are short
molecules that work within all animal and plant cells, typically functioning as a «dimmer
switch» for one or more
genes, binding to the transcripts of those
genes and preventing protein production.
They
switch on different
genes and release different mixtures of chemical messengers and protective
molecules.
Autoinducers (chemical signaling
molecules that produce more of themselves inside the cell) control the
switch that turns the light
genes off and on.
Originally, however, they were not examining brown fat thermogenesis, but instead were looking for clues to the function of ERRβ, a protein about which little was known at the time, except that it was closely related to ERRα, appeared in brown fat cells, and also worked as a so - called nuclear receptor — a molecular
switch for
gene activation that can be turned on by small lipophilic
molecules or a signaling protein partner.
There is something that flips a
switch and it's usually not just one
gene either, because most of these secondary compounds that make effective medicines are not just simple proteins that can be made by one
gene; they are actually simpler
molecules, but they have to be made by a whole pathway that has, you know, enzymes that are snipping here and adding on parts of the compound there, so that whole pathway has to get turned on and all these pathways can go in different directions.
Genes are activated to produce RNA and proteins, then
switched off again when the
molecules are no longer needed.
A type of
gene silencing treatment in which specially designed DNA
molecules are used to
switch off a
gene
A type of
gene silencing treatment in which specially designed RNA
molecules are used to
switch off a
gene
Specifically, they analyzed the tumors» epigenome, an array of
molecules that covers the surface of DNA and helps regulate
gene activity, acting like a control
switch to decide which
genes are active or inactive in the cell.
The researchers believe noise could play a role, so they combine single -
molecule analysis with time - lapse movies of individual cells to track random activity in many different
genes as the cells
switch states.
The machinery required to achieve this selective information recall resides primarily in so called «transcription factors»,
molecules that
switch genes on or off.
The best understood epigenetic effects are caused by a mechanism known as «methylation» in which the
molecule methyl attaches itself to our DNA and acts to
switch genes on or off.
A
molecule called NF - kB acts as the master
switch for inflammation, activating over 400 pro-inflammatory
genes in the body.
NFκB acts as a master
switch for the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, adhesion
molecules and other inflammatory
gene products produced in response to inflammatory stimuli.