AI has deciphered a mysterious element of human DNA - study
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, using AI, have deciphered the structure of the initiator—a DNA segment where gene reading begins. The model was trained on 500,000 initiator variants; it was found to be present in 60% of human genes. The discovery will help assess the impact of mutations and create artificial DNA segments for gene regulation.
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, led by Professor James Kadonaga, used artificial intelligence to decipher the initiator—a DNA segment where the reading of genetic information and synthesis of functional molecules begins. The researchers studied the activity of about 500,000 initiator variants and trained an AI model to recognize its characteristic structure. It turned out that the initiator is present in approximately 60% of human genes. Professor Kadonaga emphasized that AI models are providing convincing predictions for the first time regarding the presence or absence of the initiator in human genes. The results will help assess the potential impact of DNA mutations associated with various diseases and may pave the way for creating artificial DNA segments capable of purposefully regulating the activity of specific genes. Scientists note that the studied mechanism is only part of the complex system controlling gene expression and plan to develop more advanced AI models for predicting conditions of gene activation.