Editor's Summary
2 June 2005
Chromosomes join forces
The common assumption that chromosomes act independently of one another may be due for revision. For the first time, a genetic element on one chromosome is shown to direct gene activity on another chromosome. The finding comes from a study of differentiation of naïve helper T cells into TH1 cells that activate interferon-
as part of the cell-mediated immune system and TH2 cells that turn on interleukin-4 and other cytokines in the antibody-mediated immune system. The interleukin cytokines made by TH2 are on chromosome 11, and the interferon- gene is on chromosome 10. A fluorescence technique confirms that the consorting chromosomes link their DNA. These results add to growing evidence that chromatin location within the nucleus is an important constraint on gene activity.
News and Views: Gene regulation: Kissing chromosomes
A three-dimensional examination of gene regulation suggests that portions from different chromosomes 'communicate' with each other, and bring related genes together in the nucleus to coordinate their expression.
Dimitris Kioussis
doi: 10.1038/435579a
Article: Interchromosomal associations between alternatively expressed loci
Charalampos G. Spilianakis, Maria D. Lalioti, Terrence Town, Gap Ryol Lee and Richard A. Flavell
doi: 10.1038/nature03574
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (607K) | Supplementary information
