Research findings from the University of North Carolina
School of Medicine are shining a light on an important regulatory role
performed by the so-called dark matter, or “junk DNA,” within each of our
genes.
Research findings from the University of North Carolina
School of Medicine are shining a light on an important regulatory role
performed by the so-called dark matter, or “junk DNA,” within each of our
genes.
The new study reveals snippets of information contained in
dark matter that can alter the way a gene is assembled.
“These small sequences of genetic information tell the gene
how to splice, either by enhancing the splicing process or inhibiting it. The
research opens the door for studying the dark matter of genes. And it helps us
further understand how mutations or polymorphisms affect the functions of any
gene,” said study senior author, Zefeng Wang, PhD, assistant professor of
pharmacology in the UNC School of Medicine and a member of UNC Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center.