Repetitive DNA regulates gene expression

• 成果类型: Editorial Material
• 署名作者: Kuhlman, Thomas E.
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Riverside
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8208
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adk2055
• 发表日期: 2023-09-22
• 页码: 1289-1290
• 关键词: tandem repeats; sequence; binding

摘要

Approximately 5% of the human genome consists of short tandem repeats (STRs), sequences in which repeating units of 1 to 6 base pairs form an array of up to 100 base pairs long (1, 2). Variations in STR length are associated with, and often the causative agents of, gene expression changes present in some hereditary conditions, for example, Huntington's disease, autism, and schizophrenia (3-5). However, the mechanisms through which STRs exert their effects on gene expression remain poorly understood. On page 1304 of this issue, Horton et al. (6) demonstrate that STRs exert their effects by directly binding transcription factor proteins, thus explaining how STRs might influence gene expression in both normal and diseased states.