Mutations linked to expression of genes associated with complex traits
Hard-to-study mutations in the human genome, called short tandem repeats and known as STRs or microsatellites, are implicated in the expression of genes associated with complex traits including schizophrenia, inflammatory bowel disease and even height and intelligence.That’s the conclusion of a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of Nature Genetics by a team of researchers at the University of California San Diego. They were led by Melissa Gymrek, a University of California San Diego professor of computer science and medicine, and Alon Goren, a University of California San Diego professor of medicine.Short tandem repeats are composed of sequences of between one to six of the DNA’s basic components, called nucleotides, repeat over and over again, sometimes up to hundreds or th