In the human body, DNA is stored as chromatin when not being actively transcribed. Chromatin refers to the wrapping of DNA around histone proteins to control tangling, proper spatial storage of DNA, and regulation of gene expression. In order for these histones to open, exposing the DNA to RNA polymerase, transcription factors, and other necessary transcriptional hardware, acetyl-CoA is required. This acetyl CoA is derived from the metabolism of acetate by the enzyme ACSS2. Mews et al. have discovered that, through the consumption of alcohol, a rapid increase in levels of blood acetate occur resulting in rapid acetylation of histones in the brain1. Mews et al. also performed an ex-vivo assay to understand the affect of acetate on neuron cells directly. This treatment induced the expression of 3,613 genes within hippocampal nerve cells, inculding genes responsible for nervous system activity, signal transduction, learning, and memory1. The findings of this study show that alcohol consumption directly results in changes in gene expression in the brain, including those in neuron cells.
(1) Mews, P., Egervari, G., Nativio, R., Sidoli, S., Donahue, G., Lombroso, S. I., … Berger, S. L. (2019). Alcohol metabolism contributes to brain histone acetylation. Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1700-7
Comments
really detailed
I think that this is really good and really informative but I think it might need a introduction and a conclusion.
comment 2
You should say what DNA is and say what it stands for before speaking about it!
the "in order for these
the "in order for these histamines" sentence sounds a bit squished together into commas and could maybe be separated to sound clearer