A new experimental system created by Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry may allow researchers to reveal the functions of histone modifications. This may eventually the help decipher histone code or genome. This research is to test chemical histone modifications and how they affect an organism. There experiment started with the removal of all the histone genes from the genome of a Drosophila melanogaster. The goal is to figure out the code for the production of histones.
Histones are the proteins in which DNA is wound around which helps them condense and become much shorter allowing them to fit in the cells nucleus. There are five different types: H1, H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. Allowing DNA to be condensed is just one of their many functions. They also allow the chromatin to be opened up and thus genetic information is read and then carried out. They can also control gene activity. Before this new experiment it was nearly impossible to replace histones with genetically altered ones. This is why this research is critical. To fully understand the way DNA works, histones need to be fully understood as well. This new test system is making this possible in fruit flies. Thomas Hunt Morgan started off simply with a fruit fly and because of his work human genetics advanced. Hopefully the same can be said about this experiment.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101011125957.htm
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