Chromosome 4 News and Research

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Humans normally have 46 chromosomes in each cell, divided into 23 pairs. Two copies of chromosome 4, one copy inherited from each parent, form one of the pairs. Chromosome 4 spans more than 191 million DNA building blocks (base pairs) and represents more than 6 percent of the total DNA in cells.

Identifying genes on each chromosome is an active area of genetic research. Because researchers use different approaches to predict the number of genes on each chromosome, the estimated number of genes varies. Chromosome 4 likely contains between 1,300 and 1,600 genes.

Genes on chromosome 4 are among the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 total genes in the human genome.

Researchers harness the precision of CRISPR to knock out single genes in yeast

Researchers have used CRISPR-Cas9 to develop a technology that can precisely target any gene in the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

8 May 2018

Telomerase discovery paves way for drugs to combat aging and cancer

Researchers have published the first detailed image of the molecular structure of human telomerase, the enzyme that lengthens chromosomes and extends the lifespan of a cell.

27 Apr 2018

Zika virus can be used for treating aggressive human central nervous system tumors, shows study

A Brazilian study published April 26 in the journal Cancer Research shows for the first time in vivo that Zika virus can be used as a tool to treat aggressive human central nervous system (CNS) tumors.

27 Apr 2018

Researchers target telomerase for killing NRAS-mutant melanoma cells

Targeting telomerase was effective at killing NRAS-mutant melanoma cells, and the impact was further enhanced when the strategy was paired with an inhibitor of mitochondrial function, according to study results by The Wistar Institute published in Oncogene.

26 Apr 2018

Studies provide advanced knowledge about renal cancer

Cell, the most prestigious international journal in the field of biology, is today publishing a set of three papers on renal cancer. Among the authors of these papers is Dr José Ignacio López, head of the Pathological Anatomy Service of University Hospital Cruces and tenured lecturer in Pathological Anatomy at the UPV/EHU's Faculty of Medicine and Nursing.

24 Apr 2018

Role of extrachromosomal pieces of DNA in cancer development and treatment resistance

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer. Response to standard-of-care treatment is poor, with a two-year survival rate of only 15 percent.

24 Apr 2018

Scientists identify gene responsible for evolution of recombination rates

Genetics is a crapshoot. During sexual reproduction, genes from both the mother and the father mix and mingle to produce a genetic combination unique to each offspring. In most cases, the chromosomes line up properly and crossover. In some unlucky cases, however, "selfish DNA" enters the mix, causing abnormal crossovers with deletions or insertions in chromosomes, which can manifest as birth defects.

20 Apr 2018

Study proposes new mechanism that may contribute to gender differences in weight control

For years, scientists have observed that when male and female mice eat the same high-fat diet, the males gain significantly more weight than the females.

18 Apr 2018

New technique makes it possible to trace lineage of each cell

Every biology textbook states that cells are life's building blocks. But researchers are only now beginning to understand their diversity. Technologies such as RNA sequencing are revealing which genes are expressed in each individual cell.

9 Apr 2018

Researchers find link between common genetic variant and AFib risk in Latinos

"There is a paradox at play when it comes to atrial fibrillation in the Latino population," said Dr. Dawood Darbar.

9 Apr 2018

Research provides new insights about gender differences in airway disease risk

Human airways already demonstrate gender-based differences in DNA methylation signatures at birth, providing an early hint of which infants may be predisposed to develop respiratory disorders like asthma later in life, a research team reports in a paper published online April 3, 2018, in Scientific Reports.

6 Apr 2018

Research links DNA variants to increased risk of IBS in women

New research coordinated by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden links certain DNA variants to increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome in women. The findings, published in the scientific journal Gastroenterology, might help explain why IBS is more common in women than in men.

5 Apr 2018

FDA grants accelerated approval to leukemia drug for patients with MRD-positive ALL

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Blincyto (blinatumomab) to treat adults and children with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are in remission but still have minimal residual disease (MRD).

30 Mar 2018

EPFL researchers uncover how the circadian clock regulates 3D chromatin structure

EPFL biologists and geneticists have uncovered how the circadian clock orchestrates the 24-hour cycle of gene expression by regulating the structure of chromatin, the tightly wound DNA-protein complex of the cell. The work is published in Genes & Development.

28 Mar 2018

Targeting aberrantly active telomerase to treat therapy-resistant melanoma

A study conducted at The Wistar Institute in collaboration with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has demonstrated the efficacy of targeting aberrantly active telomerase to treat therapy-resistant melanoma.

21 Mar 2018

New study identifies key role for particular gene in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome

In a new study of one of the most common genetic causes of autism, neuroscientists at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have identified a specific molecular mechanism that appears to undermine the ability of neurons in affected mice to properly incorporate changes driven by experience.

20 Mar 2018

Genetic link to insomnia found

A new study has found certain genes that predispose a person to develop insomnia or sleep problems. This was one of the largest genome wide studies undertaken on insomnia. The study led by psychiatrist Murray Stein from the University of California San Diego was published in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

13 Mar 2018

OGT launches new, easy-to-use Cytocell FISH probes website

Oxford Gene Technology, The Molecular Genetics Company, has launched a new version of its Cytocell fluorescence in situ hybridization probes website - designed to provide a wealth of information and advice, offer refined functionality, and be easy-to-use.

From Oxford Gene Technology 8 Mar 2018

UNIGE researchers discover why premature cell division promotes tumor formation

The accumulation of mutations in the human genome is at the origin of cancers, as well as the development of resistance to treatments. The Cyclin E and Myc genes are active in the control of cell division.

28 Feb 2018

ASU researchers uncover crucial step in telomerase enzyme catalytic cycle

Can we stay young forever, or even recapture lost youth? Research from the laboratory of Professor Julian Chen in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University recently uncovered a crucial step in the telomerase enzyme catalytic cycle.

27 Feb 2018