Researchers from the University of Michigan Medical School found that a protein 'Mof' plays a key role in the "epigenetics" of stem cells meaning it helps stem cells read and use their DNA.
Yali Dou and her team zeroed in on the factors that add temporary tags to DNA when it's coiled around tiny spools called histones.
In order to read their DNA, cells have to unwind it a bit from those spools, allowing the gene-reading mechanisms to get access to the genetic code and transcribe it.
The temporary tags added by Mof act as tiny beacons, guiding the "reader" mechanism to the right place.
"Simply put, Mof regulates the core transcription mechanism
