Same Genes, Different Doses Distant DNA controls gene activity
Context: Even in cases where two people share the same gene,
they can produce widely differing amounts of the protein the
gene codes for. This can lead to differences in physical
characteristics, and it can also mean the difference between
sickness and health. Segments of DNA called regulatory elements
are one factor controlling how much of a particular protein the
body produces. While researchers today can use algorithms to
pick out genes from sequences of DNA, they have previously been
unable to accurately distinguish regulatory elements from other
non-coding DNA, let alone match those elements with the genes
that they regulate. Researchers at the University of
Pennsylvania, led by Vivian Cheung, have found a way to do just
that. Methods and Results: Using white blood cells from 94
people, the researchers identified more than 3,500 genes whose
expression was similar among relatives but varied widely among
people who were unrelated. These pattern