Stress can control the activity of our genes: Study

Stress that affects your entire body and mind can also arise at the cellular level after exposure to pollution, tobacco smoke, and bacterial toxins, possibly causing cellular diseases.

Researchers from Klaus Hansen's group at BRIC (Biotech Research and Innovation Centre), University of Copenhagen, have shown that external factors can stress our cells through the control of our genes.

"We have found that stress-activating factors can control our genes by turning on certain genes that were supposed to be silenced," said Klaus Hansen.

"It is very important that some genes are on and others are off in order to ensure normal foetal development and correct function of our cells later in life."

Simmi Gehani, a student in the Hansen group, added that even subtle changes in gene activation could be disastrous during foetal development, as establishment of correct cellular identity could be disturbed in our cells.

But altered gene activity could also have consequences in the adult body.

The study results showed that the protective protein complexes are lost, and selected genes are turned on when cells are exposed to external stress factors, which means that without damaging our genetic code, external stress factors can control the activity of our genes.

"The consequence is that genes that should be turned off are now active and this may disturb cellular development, identity and growth," said Gehani.

The results have been published in the renowned international journal Molecular Cell.