Towards Quantitative Analysis of Gene Regulation by Enhancers

Abstract

Enhancers are regulatory DNA sequences that can activate transcription over large distances. Recent studies have revealed the widespread role of distant activation in eukaryotic gene regulation and in the development of various human diseases, including cancer. Here we review recent progress in the field, focusing on new experimental and computational approaches that quantify the role of chromatin structure and dynamics during enhancer–promoter interactions in vitro and in vivo.

Keywords::

• activation
• distant action
• enhancers
• mechanisms
• promoters

Acknowledgements

We thank R Young for helpful comments on the work.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by NIH research grants RO1-GM34809 to WK Olson and RO1-GM119398 to VM Studitsky, by Fox Chase Cancer Center start-up funds to VM Studitsky, and by Russian Science Foundation grant 14–24–00031. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by NIH research grants RO1-GM34809 to WK Olson and RO1-GM119398 to VM Studitsky, by Fox Chase Cancer Center start-up funds to VM Studitsky, and by Russian Science Foundation grant 14–24–00031. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.