Certain developmental signals shape not only the human embryo but also play a significant role in maintaining our genetic blueprints. They prevent alterations in the genome, known as mosaicism. An international research team led by scientists of the Centre for Organismal Studies of Heidelberg University made this discovery in investigations using stem cells.
The underlying biological mechanism helps the DNA to produce an identical copy of itself during cell division using the original genetic blueprint. However, it can also contribute to genomic mosaicism during nerve cell development , according to the researchers, who analyzed tens of thousands of stem cell divisions. The work is published in the journal Nature Communications .
The human body consists of trillions of cells that all have the same genetic blueprint and replicate themselves from a single fertilized egg, i.e., replicate and segregate division after division.
"Over the course of our lives, cell mutations or other genomic alterations can arise due to errors in the underlying processes or the effect of mutagens in some cells. This creates mosaicism in our body," explains Dr. Anchel de Jaime-Soguero, a postdoctoral researcher in the team led by Prof.
Dr. Sergio P. Acebrón at the Centre for Organismal Studies of Heidelberg University.
This genomic mosaicism describes the existence of cell lines with different genetic information, which can lead to serious disorders or diseases. "In embryonic development , there ar.