Using CRISPR technology, scientists have discovered the mystery of how genes are turned on and off

Yeast, a simple organism essential for making beer and bread, has revealed a key mechanism
for Cornell researchers to how genes are controlled.

Gene transcription — the complex process our cells use to read genetic information stored in DNA — has long been thought to kick in only
when certain regulators reach a specific DNA sequence.
In the new study, a team of scientists at Cornell University found that transcriptional regulators and cofactors for certain genes already exist, but are in a latent state
.
With proper signaling, these "calm" genes become highly active
.

Using CRISPR technology, the researchers removed parts of the yeast's transcriptional mechanisms to systematically examine their role in
regulating genes.
The molecular mechanisms of yeast and human regulation genes are basically the same, so yeast provides an excellent model
for understanding human gene regulation.

"It's like a game of stacking, where you take a piece of wood from a tower of blocks and see if the whole block collapses
.
This is how we understand how protein machines work inside cells.
"

"The value of maintaining composure is that certain genes, such as environmental response genes, can respond quickly to changing environments; For example, when yeast encounters and metabolizes bread sugar, causing the bread dough to rise"
.

Chiwan Mittal, lead author and research assistant at the Baker Institute for Animal Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine, said: "Building on years of existing research, combining them with modern, elegant genomics tools has helped us fill gaps in current knowledge and make new discoveries
.
"

Original:

An integrated SAGA and TFIID PIC assembly pathway selective for poised and induced promoters