{
  "id": 91473,
  "title": "Evolutionarily Diverse Organisms Switch Genes on Simply and Switch Them off Dynamically",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/evolutionarily-diverse-organisms-switch-genes-on-simply-and-switch",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-03T15:38:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GEN Biotechnology",
    "slug": "gen-biotechnology",
    "url": "https://www.genengnews.com/topics/omics/evolutionarily-diverse-organisms-switch-genes-on-simply-and-switch-them-off-dynamically/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study led by researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) has revealed that while the signals used to turn genes on have remained largely unchanged over two billion years of evolution, the signals used to turn genes off exhibit significant diversity among different branches of life. The study represents the most comprehensive comparative analysis of genome regulation across major life forms, including discobans, rhizarians, ichtyosporeans, and cryptomonads. By examining chromatin—the protein scaffold that controls DNA reading—the researchers uncovered how different life forms have developed distinct molecular toolkits for regulating gene expression. Lead author Arnau Sebé-Pedrós explained that while the instructions for activating genes are consistent across humans, sea anemones, and soil amoebas, the mechanisms for silencing genes and other genomic elements have evolved differently in various lineages. Chromatin regulation, which allows the same genome to produce diverse cell types such as liver cells, neurons, leaves, or roots, is crucial for the proper functioning of organisms and is implicated in many human diseases, including cancers. Traditionally, detailed studies on chromatin regulation have focused on a limited number of laboratory species, such as humans, mice, fruit flies, yeast, and Arabidopsis. However, the new method developed by the CRG team, called iChIP2, has enabled the mapping of chromatin states in a wider range of species, including some that have never been studied before. This technique uses unique molecular barcodes to label chromatin from diverse organisms and analyze them simultaneously in a single experiment. The researchers mapped twelve histone modifications across twelve phylogenetically diverse species, ranging from amoebae to fungi, plants, algae, single-celled predators, and animals. The findings revealed that the activation of genes is nearly identical across all species, but the mechanisms for silencing genes are highly variable. Different lineages employ distinct combinations and patterns of histone modifications to control gene silencing. For example, in some organisms, a chemical mark that activates genes in animals serves the opposite function in soil amoebas, turning genes off. This diversity in gene regulation strategies highlights an ongoing evolutionary conflict between genomes and parasitic DNA elements like transposable elements and endogenized viruses. The study's results not only deepen our understanding of genome evolution but also provide a valuable tool for international efforts to characterize life on Earth at the molecular level.",
  "summary": "A new study has found that the signals cells use to switch genes on have remained almost unchanged across two billion years of evolution, but the ones used to switch genes off vary dramatically from one branch of life to another. The post Evolutionarily Diverse Organisms Switch Genes on Simply and Switch Them off Dynamically appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .",
  "key_points": [
    "Gene activation signals unchanged across 2 billion years of evolution",
    "Gene silencing mechanisms highly diverse among major life forms",
    "iChIP2 technique enables chromatin state mapping in diverse species"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The study reveals that diverse life forms have developed distinct mechanisms for silencing genes, unlike the conserved signals for gene activation, highlighting an evolutionary conflict between genomes and parasitic DNA elements.",
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/91473.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}