- news
- 29-11-2011
Scientists from the EPFL and the University of Geneva and led by Prof Denis Duboule, have discovered a genetic mechanism that defines the shape of our members in which, surprisingly, genes play only a secondary role.
The research published in Cell, shows a mechanism found in a DNA sequence that was thought, incorrectly, to play no role. This long string has seven enhancers which, when combined with one another, modulate the activity of the genes responsible for the formation of the fingers – an important fundamental discovery for the field of genetics.
The discovery could notably help better understand anomalies that are transmitted from generation to generation such as welded fingers or extra or abnormally short fingers (Kantaputra syndrome) even if the genes appear perfectly normal.