Gene Team

As an organism evolves, its DNA does too. Tracing the history of how it mutates, moves and duplicates can reveal surprises, like similar genes – paralogues – in distant corners of the genome. Here researchers use optical projection tomography to follow the activity of a gene called Utrn (highlighted in red) in a mouse embryo. Combining patterns of bioluminescence and fluorescence to reconstruct this 3D image reveals Utrn in many of the mouse’s early tissues. Utrn has a paralogue, Dmd, another important developmental gene found to be faulty in Duchenne muscular dystrophy in mice and humans. While these similar genes are expressed differently in health and disease, researchers believe it might be possible for Utrn to 'compensate' for Dmd in some patients. This mouse model will aid the next challenge – testing drugs to coax these related genes into working together.

Read more about this research from the Epigenetic Memory Group at the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences here

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

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A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Video from work by Hannah J. Gleneadie and Beatriz Fernandez-Ruiz, and colleagues
• Epigenetic Memory Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, UK
• Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Communications Biology, March 2023