Gene expression, the process by which genetic information is used to produce proteins and other molecules, is an important part of life. It’s critical to the development and functioning of organisms, and is regulated by a number of mechanisms, including modifications to histones, proteins that package DNA into structures called chromatin. Recently, scientists have been making progress in decoding the language of histone modifications, which could help us better understand how gene expression works.

A new study from researchers at the University of California, San Diego has taken a major step forward in this effort, by developing a method to decipher the language of histone modifications. The team used machine learning algorithms to analyze data on histone modifications, which allowed them to accurately predict how genes would be expressed based on the histone modifications. This could lead to a better understanding of how gene expression is regulated, and could potentially help us figure out why some genes go awry and cause diseases.

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source: Phys.org