Epigenetic function of Granulocytic nuclei? Designing a new line of research

摘要

Granulocytes share the common feature of having a lobulated nucleus, a fact whose function has yet to be discussed in depth. This hypothesis suggests that the division of the nuclei follows an epigenetic purpose, separating genes into compartments with different regulatory mechanisms, which may be due to intrinsic factors like regulatory RNA or extrinsic factors like proteins. This paper describes the outlines of a line of research for both the initial testing to test the hypothesis and the following descriptive studies, including potential clinical uses in the prognosis or diagnosis of diseases that present dysregulation of the number of lobes. The chosen approach is to study the pattern of distribution (random or otherwise) of genes amongst the lobes.