UMD Researchers Study the Intricate Processes Underpinning Gene Expression
UMD Researchers Study the Intricate Processes Underpinning Gene Expression
In a recent study, a research team co-led by Arpita Upadhyaya (IPST and Physics) shed light on the complex processes that help regulate genes. Their paper, “Dynamic switching of transcriptional regulators between two distinct low-mobility chromatin states,” was published in Science Advances on June 14, 2023.
The team discovered that the extent to which chromatin—the structure into which DNA is packaged—moves inside cells is an overlooked but important process in gene expression. Notably, they found that chromatin can switch between a lower and higher state of mobility within seconds.
“Previous studies have proposed that different chromatin mobility states occupy distinct regions of the cell nucleus. However, these studies were performed on a sub-second timescale,” said Upadhyaya, who holds a joint appointment in the Institute for Physical Science and Technology. “We extend this model by showing that on longer timescales, the chromatin polymer can locally switch between two mobility states.”
