Revealing Genes

Inherited genes play a crucial role in how we develop, yet how and when they are accessed inside our cells is equally important. This computer model of our DNA storage system, chromatin, shows DNA arranged along a 'skeleton' of histone proteins (artificially coloured red and green), helping it to coil up tightly inside our cells’ nuclei. Different chromatin regions, coloured in blue, orange and purple, are twisted around each other, a bit like a balloon animal (although 500,000 times smaller). Its shape may look familiar – the chromatin’s twists and bends form a double helix, similar to the spiralling structure of DNA itself. There could be clues here to how chromatin is remodelled at different points in our lives, changing which genes can and can’t be accessed – an example of epigenetic regulation which is greatly affected by lifestyle and disease.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image by Guohong Li and colleagues
• Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Copyright held by The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Research published in Science, April 2014