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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Promoter Capture Hi-C: High-resolution, Genome-wide Profiling of Promoter Interactions
Published on: June 28, 2018
A conserved regulatory element in the mammalian β-globin promoters
Ryoiti Kiyama1, Yuko Wada-Kiyama
1Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. kiyama.r@aist.go.jp
Abstract:
We provide here evidence for a conserved regulatory element for transcription of the β-family globin genes based on a comparative study of 32 genes from 16 mammals. The element is characterized by the appearance of AA or TT dinucleotides in the A + T-rich region located 200-400 bp upstream of the cap sites. G-tracts 3-5 nucleotides long exist between the A + T-rich region and the conserved transcription factor binding sites (GATA-1 site and the CACCC, CCAAT, and ATA boxes) apparently dividing the regions. The average periodicity of AA or TT dinucleotides in the region from a total of 18 β-family globin genes from four species was approximately 10 bp, suggesting that the DNA in these regions shows right-handed superhelicity. The proposed biological function of this element is to adjust the spatial positions for the first interaction of the transcription factor(s) which can recognize specific DNA sequences in the presence of packed chromatin.
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