Exploring DNA Like a Game of "Genetic Musical Chairs"

DNA (which stands for deoxyribonucleic acid) is the special set of instructions that tells our bodies how to grow, repair themselves, and stay healthy. It’s like having a giant instruction manual stored in almost every cell.

A cell is the smallest unit of life, like a tiny factory that keeps your body working. Now imagine that inside each cell is a giant LEGO® instruction book made of DNA. This “book” (known as our genome) is divided into chapters called chromosomes, and each chapter contains pages called genes. Each gene is like a specific LEGO® instruction page, telling the cell how to build different parts of the body. These instructions help make proteins, which are like the special LEGO® pieces needed to keep everything working properly. Just like following the right steps in a LEGO® guide ensures you build an amazing creation, your cells follow DNA instructions to keep your body running smoothly!

Sometimes, the chromosomes in our cells can go through changes. Imagine the pages of the LEGO® instruction book get shuffled around, with some pages ending up in different sections. Scientists call this process "chromoplexy," and it’s like a creative funky mix that can sometimes lead to surprising new formations in our DNA. Let’s find out how it works below.

You can look at chromoplexy as being a bit like a game of musical chairs. Several DNA pieces, instead of swapping one-to-one (as in a simple trade), get shuffled in loops, forming new connections. Think of it like players standing up and finding new seats during a round of musical chairs, but nobody is left out! This reshuffling might bring together genes that weren’t meant to work side by side. Scientists are particularly interested in these new formations because they can unlock mysteries about how our bodies change and evolve.

Chromoplexy doesn’t always happen little by little – it often occurs in big bursts. Imagine a round of musical chairs where everyone finds new seats at once, rather than a slower one where only two players swap chairs. These big bursts mean that many DNA changes happen at the same time, creating a big change in the cell.

When DNA gets mixed up through chromoplexy, it can create new “fusions.” This means two genes that weren’t originally connected are now joined together. These gene fusions sometimes result in cells behaving differently. For example:

• They might grow faster, or in unusual ways.
• They could create entirely new proteins that weren't part of the original building blocks "instruction set" of the cell.
• They may not work at all.

But why does chromoplexy happen in the first place? Well, Scientists think this happens because of mistakes made when cells copy gene instructions. The idea is that DNA strands come together in busy areas inside the cell’s nucleus where many genes are being copied at the same time. Since the DNA is unwound in this process, it can get twisted or tangled – like a long string, or mobile phone cable getting knotted. This stress can cause the DNA to break and then it gets mixed up when it is repaired.

Another way to think about it is this. Imagine that our cells are busy kitchens, always making proteins to help the body run smoothly. Sometimes, when DNA is copied, small “cooking accidents” happen. For example, the DNA might break and rejoin in unusual patterns. This can be influenced by how often a part of the DNA is being used, which is like a recipe page in a cookbook getting smudged or torn from being used all the time.

Scientists noticed that chromoplexy happens in parts of DNA that are highly active – like favourite recipes that you make all the time. These are early replicating DNA sections, which means they are copied first when a cell divides.

Chromoplexy helps scientists understand how our bodies grow and change over time. It plays a really important role in how certain cells behave, and how new patterns in our DNA can affect our health. For example, understanding chromoplexy gives researchers clues about why some cells may not work as we expect, and how we might fix them. Doctors could use their knowledge to develop new tools for spotting changes in cells early, and to find better ways to keep us healthy as we get older. This discovery also helps scientists understand how our DNA changes naturally over time, and how to help keep our DNA in good shape.

Special thanks to the students of Duxford Primary School, acting as our young reviewers, to make this research accessible.