Researchers Map 50,000 of DNA’s Mysterious ‘Knots’ in the Human Genome
Researchers Map 50,000 of DNA’s Mysterious ‘Knots’ in the Human Genome
Innovative study of DNA’s hidden structures may open up new approaches for treatment and diagnosis of diseases, including cancer.
Now that's some hard-core science! Can't wait to see where this research leads in the future.
We thought we left Clippy in the 90s but he was with us all along.
I've spent a good amount of time studying various DNA processes and never once made a connection between i-motifs and clippy. Great catch! lol
The thing is, our cells create these "knots" to make room for enzymes to access our DNA. They're quite common as it's required for DNA transcription + replication, chromosome segregation in cell division, telomere maintenance, and to alter gene expression. Not sure how I overlooked what happens if they form more often than intended. Wild to learn it can lead to cancer, neurodegeneration, and heart disorders! Guess I missed two massive aspects when studying all this, the imapct of DNA forming i-motifs too often, and the resemblance to clippy hahaha.
Just ask a random furry, we're experts with knots.