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Nature Reviews Genetics 6, 648-654 (August 2005) | doi:10.1038/nrg1639

OpinionSilence of the genes — mechanisms of long-term repression

Laura Lande-Diner1 & Howard Cedar1  About the authors

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A large fraction of genes in the mammalian genome is repressed in every cell throughout development. Here, we propose that this long-term silencing is carried out by distinct molecular mechanisms that operate in a global manner and, once established, can be maintained autonomously through DNA replication. Both individually and in combination these mechanisms bring about repression, mainly by lowering gene accessibility through closed chromatin structures.

Author affiliations

  1. Laura Lande-Diner and Howard Cedar are at the Department of Cellular Biochemistry and Human Genetics, Hebrew University Medical School, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel 91120.

Correspondence to: Howard Cedar1 Email: cedar@md.huji.ac.il

Published online 19 July 2005

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