The achievement was reached at UCLA

Aug 10, 2010 06:50 GMT  ·  By
Map of subnetwork centered around the gene COX1, involved in the control of smooth muscle activity in the body, along with many other physiological functions
   Map of subnetwork centered around the gene COX1, involved in the control of smooth muscle activity in the body, along with many other physiological functions

Inside the mammalian body, more than 20,000 genes determine how the body will behave, as well as its overall state of health. The human body isn't any different, with all the genetic interactions going on inside determining some of its most important traits. Now, scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) have finally managed to map all existing interactions between these genes, an achievement that will help them learn more about how genes collaborate to reach a certain objective.

The UCLA group explains in the August issue of the esteemed scientific journal Genome Research that each gene in the mammalian body contains a certain sum of information. Data on how to create proteins represent the largest chunk. These small molecules are of paramount importance in mammals, determining exterior and interior traits alike. For example, the way the blood flows, or the way cells live or die, are all determined by proteins, which genes provide the construction blueprints for.

The new map developed at UCLA is the first to show how genes interact with each other, and not just where they are located in the genome. “The UCLA interaction map is a significant one that will help broaden the understanding of the working relationships between genes. The more information we acquire about genetic interactions, the more effective scientists can be in developing bench-to-bedside research,” says Rutgers University Department of Genetics associate professor Tara C. Matise.

The expert, who is also the director of the Laboratory of Computational Genetics at the university, was not involved in the new research. “We were surprised that no one had done this before and that it worked so well. Modern genome science, although still in its infancy, has accumulated enormous amounts of information that can be repurposed to produce findings such as ours for decades to come. We've just scratched the surface,” says UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine professor of molecular and medical pharmacology Desmond Smith.

He is also the author of the new journal entry detailing the genetic map. “Current genetic maps show the order of genes and where they physically reside, like a street map of homes. We took it one step further and were able to map which genes interact when they leave their homes and go to work,” the expert concludes.