DNA shaper steers nervous system development

Per MIT researchers, a protein called cohesin that reshapes your DNA's three-dimensional structure acts as a molecular switch determining what type of neuron a cell becomes. Testing in the microscopic worm C. elegans, scientists discovered that when cohesin malfunctions, cells destined to produce inhibitory signals become excitatory instead, causing developmental defects that mirror Cornelia de Lange syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. The findings, published in Science Advances, reveal a potential path to treatment: researchers have identified suppressor mutations that partially restore function in affected worms, and they're now hunting for the genes involved as a first step toward human therapeutics.

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