️ Episode 211: Retention Elements in Cancer Cells
In this episode of PaperCast Base by Base, we explore the discovery of genetic elements that promote the retention of extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in cancer cells, enhancing their survival and evolution.
Study Highlights:
Researchers identified a family of genomic elements known as retention elements that tether ecDNA to mitotic chromosomes, facilitating its transmission to daughter cells during division. The study utilized a novel genome-scale assay called Retain-seq, revealing thousands of retention elements that enhance the persistence of ecDNA. These elements are primarily located at gene promoters and are characterized by high CpG density, which is crucial for their function. The findings suggest that retention elements play a significant role in the maintenance of oncogenic ecDNA across generations of cancer cells.
Conclusion:
Understanding the mechanisms of ecDNA retention may provide insights into cancer evolution and potential therapeutic targets.
Music:
Enjoy the music based on this article at the end of the episode.
Reference:
Sankar, V., Hung, K. L., Gnanasekar, A., Wong, I. T.-L., Shi, Q., Kraft, K., Jones, M. G., He, B. J., Yan, X., Belk, J. A., Liu, K. J., Agarwal, S., Wang, S. K., Henssen, A. G., Mischel, P. S., & Chang, H. Y. (2025). Genetic elements promote retention of extrachromosomal DNA in cancer cells. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09764-8
License:
This episode is based on an open-access article published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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