Discoveries
Movement appears to play key role in gene function
Location, location, location — the mantra of real estate agents everywhere — may be equally important for understanding how genes work. A stream of new research is demonstrating that, rather than being stationary, genes move to different portions of the cell nucleus depending on their state of activity.
Jason Casolari and Pamela Silver, both PhDs, take a systems biology approach to their work.
As they reported in the journal Cell, Dana-Farber scientists discovered that, in yeast cells, active genes can be positioned at the edge of the nucleus, suggesting that this outer region is not a genetically dormant, or "silent," zone, as previously thought.
The finding grew out of a new "systems biology" approach, which focuses not on individual genes, or even the entire set of genes within cells, but on how those genes interact with other parts of the cell. The discovery suggests that where genes are active plays a role in their function.
"This is the first study to look at the organization of the full genome in the nucleus of yeast cells," says lead author Jason Casolari, PhD, a member of the laboratory of senior author Pamela Silver, PhD, who has an appointment in the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. "It takes research into the process of gene activation and control to a new and broader perspective.
"This approach represents the merging of several fields to build a larger picture of what takes place within the nucleus," Casolari continues. "We hope it will help answer large-scale questions about nuclear organization and ultimately provide insights for therapies against cancer and other diseases associated with improper gene activity."
