NIH Record - National Institutes of Health
Stem cells look like green, blue red and yellow dots.

November 13, 2020

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Stem cells look like green, blue red and yellow dots.

On the Cover

NIH scientists showed how ancient retroviral genes, or “junk DNA,” may play a role in helping stem cells decide to become neurons. The image shows stem cells in a petri dish. The blue dots represent cell nuclei. Green dots represent HERV-K, HML-2 viral envelope proteins encoded by junk DNA, while red dots represent the immune cell protein CD98HC. Interactions between the two proteins produced a yellow color. The study suggests that these interactions restrain stem cells from becoming neurons and that turning off HERV-K, HML-2 activity frees them.

NATH LAB, NINDS

The NIH Record

The NIH Record, founded in 1949, is the biweekly newsletter for employees of the National Institutes of Health.

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Associate Editor: Dana Talesnik
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Assistant Editor: Eric Bock
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Staff Writer: Amber Snyder
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