Credit: SciTechDaily.comUnderstanding the system of LINE-1 is key to establishing possible new treatments for cancer, autoimmune disorders, neurodegeneration, and even aging.Research published on December 14 in Nature sheds light on a small part of the so-called “dark genome”– the 98 percent of the human genome whose biological function is mostly not known.In this case, a global multidisciplinary team reported the first high-resolution images and structural details of a genetic element known as LINE-1, which inserts itself into the human genome and is implicated in illness such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, neurodegeneration, and even aging.Uncovering LINE-1s Structure and ImpactLINE-1 is explained in the paper as an “ancient hereditary parasite” with about 100 potentially active copies in each individual. LINE-1 activity is typically associated with disease.Unlike DNA, which makes RNA and then proteins, retrotransposons like LINE-1 work backward, making DNA from RNA and then placing it into the genome. The enzyme required for this process is called LINE-1 reverse transcriptase, or LINE-1 RT.” Retrotransposons are often referred to as leaping genes that place themselves into our chromosomes with a copy-and-paste system,” explains Matthias Götte, teacher and chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Alberta and one of the 8 co-corresponding authors.” We recognized resemblances in between the LINE-1 RT and the HIV-1 RT, however likewise distinctions, and that will permit us to establish drugs that are more specific to this specific LINE-1 enzyme,” states Götte.
Credit: SciTechDaily.comUnderstanding the mechanism of LINE-1 is essential to establishing possible brand-new treatments for cancer, autoimmune conditions, neurodegeneration, and even aging.Research released on December 14 in Nature sheds light on a small part of the so-called “dark genome”– the 98 percent of the human genome whose biological function is mostly not known.In this case, a global multidisciplinary team reported the very first high-resolution images and structural information of a genetic element understood as LINE-1, which inserts itself into the human genome and is linked in diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, neurodegeneration, and even aging.Uncovering LINE-1s Structure and ImpactLINE-1 is explained in the paper as an “ancient hereditary parasite” with about 100 potentially active copies in each person. The enzyme needed for this procedure is called LINE-1 reverse transcriptase, or LINE-1 RT.” Retrotransposons are frequently referred to as jumping genes that place themselves into our chromosomes with a copy-and-paste mechanism,” discusses Matthias Götte, professor and chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Alberta and one of the eight co-corresponding authors.” We identified similarities between the LINE-1 RT and the HIV-1 RT, but likewise distinctions, and that will permit us to establish drugs that are more specific to this specific LINE-1 enzyme,” states Götte.