{"title":"Evaluating Enhancer Function and Transcription.","authors":"Andrew Field, Karen Adelman","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-011420-095916","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cell-type- and condition-specific profiles of gene expression require coordination between protein-coding gene promoters and <i>cis</i>-regulatory sequences called enhancers. Enhancers can stimulate gene activity at great genomic distances from their targets, raising questions about how enhancers communicate with specific gene promoters and what molecular mechanisms underlie enhancer function. Characterization of enhancer loci has identified the molecular features of active enhancers that accompany the binding of transcription factors and local opening of chromatin. These characteristics include coactivator recruitment, histone modifications, and noncoding RNA transcription. However, it remains unclear which of these features functionally contribute to enhancer activity. Here, we discuss what is known about how enhancers regulate their target genes and how enhancers and promoters communicate. Further, we describe recent data demonstrating many similarities between enhancers and the gene promoters they control, and we highlight unanswered questions in the field, such as the potential roles of transcription at enhancers.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":"89 ","pages":"213-234"},"PeriodicalIF":12.1000,"publicationDate":"2020-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1146/annurev-biochem-011420-095916","citationCount":"99","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Annual review of biochemistry","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-011420-095916","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2020/3/20 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 99
Abstract
Cell-type- and condition-specific profiles of gene expression require coordination between protein-coding gene promoters and cis-regulatory sequences called enhancers. Enhancers can stimulate gene activity at great genomic distances from their targets, raising questions about how enhancers communicate with specific gene promoters and what molecular mechanisms underlie enhancer function. Characterization of enhancer loci has identified the molecular features of active enhancers that accompany the binding of transcription factors and local opening of chromatin. These characteristics include coactivator recruitment, histone modifications, and noncoding RNA transcription. However, it remains unclear which of these features functionally contribute to enhancer activity. Here, we discuss what is known about how enhancers regulate their target genes and how enhancers and promoters communicate. Further, we describe recent data demonstrating many similarities between enhancers and the gene promoters they control, and we highlight unanswered questions in the field, such as the potential roles of transcription at enhancers.
期刊介绍:
The Annual Review of Biochemistry, in publication since 1932, sets the standard for review articles in biological chemistry and molecular biology. Since its inception, these volumes have served as an indispensable resource for both the practicing biochemist and students of biochemistry.