{"id":2000108333,"date":"2026-04-12T11:41:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T09:41:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/?p=2000108333"},"modified":"2026-04-12T11:41:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T09:41:06","slug":"scientists-discover-hidden-second-code-in-dna-that-helps-control-gene-activity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/scientists-discover-hidden-second-code-in-dna-that-helps-control-gene-activity\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists discover hidden \u201csecond code\u201d in DNA that helps control gene activity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Human DNA is made up of long chains of three\u2011letter units called codons. These codons tell the cell how to build proteins, and many of them can be different but still produce the same amino acid. Until now, scientists assumed that those different codons with the same meaning were interchangeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a research team from Kyoto University and RIKEN, led by scientists Osamu Takeuchi and Takuhiro Ito, has shown that cells don\u2019t treat all codons equally. Some codons are more efficient at producing proteins, while others are weaker. The team discovered that cells actively recognize and silence the less efficient messages, giving stronger instructions priority in gene expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Central to this process is a protein called DHX29, which acts like a quality controller. The researchers found that DHX29 attaches to the ribosome the cell\u2019s protein\u2011making machinery especially when it encounters these weaker codons. Once there, DHX29 recruits another set of proteins, the GIGYF2\u20224EHP complex, to selectively suppress the weaker genetic messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co\u2011corresponding author Masanori Yoshinaga explained the importance of the findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTogether, these findings reveal a direct molecular link between synonymous codon choice and the control of gene expression in human cells.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This discovery challenges the long\u2011held assumption that synonymous codons are functionally the same, revealing a hidden layer of genetic control. It could deepen scientific understanding of critical biological processes such as cell differentiation, balance within cells, and even the development of diseases like cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers say they will continue to explore how DHX29 influences gene activity in both normal physiology and disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
New discovery reveals hidden “second code” in DNA that regulates gene expression.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers have identified a previously unknown layer of information in human DNA that influences which genes are turned on or off. This hidden \u201csecond code\u201d helps cells decide which genetic instructions to use, adding a new chapter to our understanding of how genes are regulated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":2000108334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[151],"byline":[201],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000108333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-editors-choice","byline-rania-umutoni"],"bylines":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"contributors":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"featured_image":{"id":2000108334,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dna-mutation-genetics-bioengineering-cancer-disease.png","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/png","width":1920,"height":1080,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dna-mutation-genetics-bioengineering-cancer-disease.png","width":150,"height":84},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dna-mutation-genetics-bioengineering-cancer-disease.png","width":300,"height":169},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dna-mutation-genetics-bioengineering-cancer-disease.png","width":768,"height":432},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dna-mutation-genetics-bioengineering-cancer-disease.png","width":1024,"height":576},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dna-mutation-genetics-bioengineering-cancer-disease.png","width":1920,"height":1080}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000108333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/139"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000108333"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000108333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000108384,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000108333\/revisions\/2000108384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000108334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000108333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000108333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000108333"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000108333"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000108333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}