New study reveals how molecules organise chromosomes in cells

HOUSTON: Researchers at Rice University conducted a study exploring how tiny motor-like molecules affect how chromosomes are organised inside human cells, critical to understanding how how human cells work.

The research was led by Peter Wolynes, an expert in chemistry, biosciences, physics, and astronomy, and co-director of the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics (CTBP). The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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The study led by Wolynes and his team explored how molecular motors, such as swimming and grappling types, crucially shape and maintain chromosome structure within cells.

Chromosomes, found in the nucleus of cells, are composed of DNA and proteins and store genetic information vital for cellular functions like DNA replication and gene expression.

Molecular motors are tiny machines within cells that assist in organising chromosomes. Swimming motors, akin to enzymes called RNA polymerases, aid in the dynamic stretching and contraction of chromosomes to facilitate gene activity. Grappling motors play a distinct role by pulling distant segments of chromatin fibers together, preventing chromosome tangling and maintaining their integrity.

Understanding these motors is important for deciphering cellular processes. They function like miniature workers ensuring cellular organisation and functionality within a living organism.

Molecular motors are integral to managing chromosome structure, facilitating chromosome dynamics through stretching, contracting, and segment pulling. Their activities ensure genetic information accessibility and proper chromosome organization within cells.

These motors need energy to do their jobs, which comes from molecules called ATP. They exert forces on chromatin fibers, pushing and pulling to arrange them in specific ways. For example, swimming motors can either tighten or loosen chromatin fibers, depending on what the cell needs at that moment.

Scientists used complex computer models to study how these motors work inside cells. By using statistics and physics, they created models that predict how motors organise chromatin fibers in the nucleus of a cell. This helps researchers understand how chromosomes are arranged in three-dimensional space inside cells.

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Why is this research important? It gives us insights into how cells copy their DNA accurately when they divide, how genes are controlled and used by cells, and how cells keep their identities and functions intact. Understanding these processes is important for studying diseases related to chromosome problems, like cancer and genetic disorders.