Dynamical genetics
Dynamical genetics is a subfield of molecular biology and genetics that studies phenomena in which physiological protein complexes alter DNA. The study of such mechanisms is important because they promote useful functions, for example the immune system recombination and chromosomal crossover. Furthermore, when such mechanisms malfunction, diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders are caused.
Typical examples of dynamical genetics subjects are:
- Dynamic mutations, a term introduced by Robert I. Richards and Grant [Robert Sutherland|Grant R. Sutherland] to indicate mutations caused by other mutations; this phenomenon often involves the variable number tandem repeats, and is closely related to many neurodegenerative diseases, as the trinucleotide repeat disorders.
- Dynamic genome, a term introduced by Nina Fedoroff and David Botstein to indicate the transposition discovered by Barbara McClintock.
- Immune V(D)J recombination and isotype class switching, two terms introduced to indicate two kinds of immune system recombinations, which are the main cause of the enormous variety of antibodies.
- Horizontal [DNA transfer], which indicates the DNA transfer between two organisms.
- Crossing-over mediated by formation and unwinding of uncommon four-helix DNA structures known as G-quadruplexes.