Mechanical stress affects our chromatin

This section provides an opportunity to share scientific articles and studies that shine some light on how Yin Yoga affects us. When you post a link to a study or article here, please include one or two paragraphs summarizing the important findings and/or provide the salient quotation from the article. Please do not simply cut and paste the whole study: provide only links and your summary.
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Bernie
Posts: 1292
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Mechanical stress affects our chromatin

Post by Bernie »

Mechanical force triggers gene expression by stretching chromatin
  • "How genes in our DNA are expressed into traits within a cell is a complicated mystery with many players, the main suspects being chemical. However, a new study has demonstrated that external mechanical force can directly regulate gene expression. The study also identified the pathway that conveys the force from the outside of the cell into the nucleus."

    "Our findings suggest that local stresses applied to integrins propagate from the tensed actin cytoskeleton to the LINC complex and then through lamina–chromatin interactions to directly stretch chromatin and upregulate transcription."
When we stress our body in our yoga practice, we obviously stress our tissues. Our tissues are made up of cell, so we also stress the cells. This study shows how that stress on the cells can affect gene expression: turning on or off certain genes depending upon the direction and intensity of the stress. Unfortunately the study does not vary the nature of the stress nor discuss the effects of duration. That would be very interesting.
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