July 11, 2023
How an essential class of proteins can access blocked genes
Genetic information contained within DNA has to be read by specific proteins that enable the process of gene activation to begin – but in many cases, these proteins can’t access their targets because DNA strands are bundled up to control what genes are used in the wide range of different cell types. New research led by Michael Poirier in the Department of Physics at Ohio State shows how one of these proteins, known as a transcription factor, functions as a special “pioneer factor” by managing to bind to a blocked segment of DNA to begin the process of opening up and activating a gene.
