Type of Chromatin Seen to Stop ‘Jumping Genes’ from Doing Harm, as in Hemophilia
New research suggests that the main developmental role of heterochromatin, a form of dense DNA found in chromosomes, is to suppress virus-like DNA elements known as “jumping genes” from replicating and attaching themselves across a person’s genome, potentially destroying important genes and causing a variety of diseases, including hemophilia and cancer. The study, by University of North Carolina…