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 14.09.2026

A UB study with CNAG participation reveals that DNA organization is key to tissue regeneration

A study led by Professor Montserrat Corominas, from the Faculty of Biology and the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), has identified, in an animal model, that the formation of these loops is an essential step in the process of tissue regeneration following injury. Published in Science Advances, the study involved the participation of the team led by Marc Martí-Renom, an ICREA researcher at the National Centre for Genomic Analysis (CNAG), based at the Barcelona Science Park, as well as researchers from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

The results show that tissue regeneration depends not only on the genes that are switched on or off after an injury, but also on how DNA is reorganized within the cell nucleus. The discovery reveals the three-dimensional architecture of the genome as a new layer of regulation that is essential for regenerative processes.

Unraveling the unknown role of genome architecture

In the cell nucleus, DNA associates with proteins to form a structure known as chromatin, which organizes the genome in eukaryotic cells.

“This chromatin adopts a complex three-dimensional architecture that allows contacts to be established between regions of the genome that are far apart, and regulates which genes are activated or remain inactive at any given moment,” explains Montserrat Corominas, a member of the UB’s Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics.

However, the evidence suggests that the regenerative potential of affected tissues is closely linked to the dynamics of chromatin state and structure.

In the study, the team used imaginal discs from the wing of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model to study regeneration.

“Importantly, we have identified three of these DNA loops and have experimentally demonstrated that they are necessary for efficient regeneration,” notes Carlos Camilleri-Robles (UB-IBUB), one of the lead authors of the article. “When we altered the regions responsible for their formation, the tissues’ regenerative capacity was significantly reduced, while the organism’s normal development remained virtually unaffected.”

“Overall, our results identify a previously unknown role for genome architecture in tissue repair, and reveal an additional layer of regulation of gene expression during regeneration,” concludes Palmira Llorens-Giralt (UB-IBUB), first author of the article.

» Article of reference: Palmira Llorens-Giralt, Carlos Camilleri-Robles, Leo Zuber, Jenisha Khadka, Maria Marti-Marimon, Andrea Crespo-Pera, Florenci Serras, Maria Cristina Gambetta, Marc A Marti-Renom, & Montserrat Corominas. (2026). L’organització tridimensional del genoma en la regeneració de teixits implica llaços de cromatina de llarg abast. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21447243

» Link to the news: University of Barcelona (UB) website [+]