DNA's physical properties may shape which mutations evolution preserves
Nearly every cell in the human body contains essentially the same genetic information, yet different cells activate different genes. For regulatory proteins to reach these genes, DNA must be accessible. This accessibility depends not only on the genetic code itself but also on DNA's physical properties—its shape, flexibility and ability to interact with proteins.
The physical properties of DNA, such as shape, flexibility, and ability to interact with proteins, play a significant role in gene expression. These properties, known as the DNA's physical code, depend not only on the genetic code but also on the molecule's shape and dynamics. Researchers are studying this code to understand how it influences which mutations are preserved during evolution.
An international team led by Dr. Daiva Petkevičiūtė-Gerlach from Kaunas University of Technology investigated this code using atomistic simulations and analyses of a large set of DNA sequences. They found that the physical properties of DNA, which depend on its nucleotide sequence, influence how it interacts with proteins and play a crucial role in gene expression.
DNA's mechanical properties may affect which regions are more accessible to cellular proteins, thereby regulating gene expression. The study's most important achievement was the creation of a large, publicly accessible dataset that other researchers can use to further explore the DNA's physical properties. The research also suggests that evolution favors mutations causing minimal changes to DNA's physical properties, indicating that the mechanical stability of the DNA molecule is preserved over time.
This finding could have implications for understanding the development of certain diseases and advancing the field of DNA modeling.
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