EAST LANSING, Mich. -- A new discovery at Michigan State University has revealed how special genes stay open for business, helping diagram a mechanism that plays a key role in fighting inflammation and infections.
In the current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, MSU scientists show that when immune cells encounter a bacteria, a number of genes become active. During this process, nucleosomes, which coat DNA and essentially block genes, are gone, leaving the genes open and ready to enlist in the fight against bacteria.