Key Points
- Scientists discovered that the beginning of a gene also controls where it ends. This overturns a long-held, fundamental concept in molecular biology.
- A single gene can produce hundreds of different protein versions depending on where it starts and stops.
- The discovery could lead to new treatments for diseases like cancer by allowing scientists to control which protein versions are made.
- This adds a “new dimension to gene control,” going beyond just turning genes on or off.
A new study has overturned a long-held, textbook idea in biology, revealing that the beginning of a gene doesn’t just start the process of making a protein—it also controls where that process ends. The discovery, published in Science, opens up a powerful new way to understand and potentially control gene expression, which could lead to new treatments for diseases like cancer and neurological disorders.
For decades, scientists believed that a gene’s “start” was simply the launch pad for transcription, the process by which DNA is copied into RNA to build proteins. But new research from Boston University and UMass Chan Medical School shows that the “start” and “end” of a gene are actually linked.
“This work rewrites a textbook idea,” said Ana Fiszbein, one of the lead authors of the study. “We now show the start also helps set the finish line—gene beginnings control gene endings.”
This is a huge deal because misplacing a start or an end can completely change the protein that gets made, sometimes with disastrous consequences. “In cancer, that flip can mean turning a tumor suppressor into an oncogene,” Fiszbein explained.
By using large-scale genomic data and precise gene-editing experiments, the researchers found that altering the start of a gene also altered its end. This means a single gene can produce hundreds of different versions of a protein, some with opposite functions.
The discovery gives scientists a new “lever” to control genes. Instead of just turning a gene on or off, they might be able to steer it to produce healthy proteins and suppress harmful ones, all without changing the underlying DNA. “We’re not just mapping how genes work—we’re finding new levers to control them,” Fiszbein added.
