AIRE relies on Z-DNA to flag gene targets for thymic T cell tolerization. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38480882/)

These scientists wanted to understand how a special protein called AIRE helps our immune system to work properly. AIRE is like a boss that tells certain genes in our cells to turn on or off. But unlike other bosses, AIRE doesn't have a specific rulebook to follow.

To figure out how AIRE works, the scientists used two different methods. First, they created a special computer program called a convolutional neural network to analyze a lot of data. Second, they studied mice that had different genes from their parents, to see how variations in genes affected AIRE's actions.

The scientists discovered that AIRE likes to target genes that can easily break apart their DNA. This breaking apart helps those genes to get ready to do their job in the cell. They also found that AIRE prefers to target genes that are already set up for action.

From all this, the scientists think that a special type of DNA called Z-DNA helps AIRE to do its job better. This discovery could help scientists find new ways to help our immune system to work better.

So, in simple words, these scientists found out how AIRE chooses which genes to control, and they think that by understanding this better, we can find ways to make our immune system stronger.

Fang Y., Bansal K., Mostafavi S., Benoist C., Mathis D. AIRE relies on Z-DNA to flag gene targets for thymic T cell tolerization. Nature. 2024 Mar 13. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07169-7.