Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins02:36

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins02:36

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...
Eukaryotic Transcription Activators02:42

Eukaryotic Transcription Activators

Transcription activators are proteins that promote the transcription of genes from DNA to RNA. In most cases, these proteins contain two separate domains ‒ a domain that binds to DNA and a domain for activating transcription; however, in some cases, a single domain is responsible for both binding and activation of transcription, as seen in the glucocorticoid receptor and MyoD.
The binding domains are capable of recognizing and interacting with regulatory sequences on the DNA. These domains are...
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Foxi2 and Sox3 are master transcription regulators that control ectoderm germ layer specification in Xenopus.

PLoS biology·2025
Same author

Foxh1 is a locus-specific PRC2 recruiter governing germ layer silencing.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Foxi2 and Sox3 are master regulators controlling ectoderm germ layer specification.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Maternal and zygotic contributions to H3K4me1 chromatin marking during germ layer formation.

Developmental biology·2024
Same author

SDB statement on In Vitro Fertilization: Decisions on reproductive care should be grounded in science.

Developmental biology·2024
Same author

Transcriptional network governing extraembryonic endoderm cell fate choice.

Developmental biology·2023
Same journal

Zebrafish models of acute leukemias: Current models and future directions.

Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology·2020
Same journal

Schwann cell development: From neural crest to myelin sheath.

Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology·2020
Same journal

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived lung organoids: Potential applications in development and disease modeling.

Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology·2020
Same journal

The macro and micro of chromosome conformation capture.

Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology·2020
Same journal

Single-cell RNA sequencing in Drosophila: Technologies and applications.

Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology·2020
Same journal

Proximity-dependent labeling methods for proteomic profiling in living cells: An update.

Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology·2020
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

A Web-Based Workflow for Selecting Gene- and Tissue-Specific Enhancers
08:12

A Web-Based Workflow for Selecting Gene- and Tissue-Specific Enhancers

Published on: July 18, 2025

Enhancers.

Ken W Y Cho1

  • 1Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA. kwcho@uci.edu

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Developmental Biology
|June 27, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Eukaryotic gene transcription is complex, involving transcription factors and DNA sequences. This review explores enhancer functions in metazoans, particularly their role in regulating gene expression during early development.

More Related Videos

Optimized Quantitative Assessment of Enhancer RNA Stability in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
03:34

Optimized Quantitative Assessment of Enhancer RNA Stability in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Published on: November 21, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 10, 2026

A Web-Based Workflow for Selecting Gene- and Tissue-Specific Enhancers
08:12

A Web-Based Workflow for Selecting Gene- and Tissue-Specific Enhancers

Published on: July 18, 2025

Optimized Quantitative Assessment of Enhancer RNA Stability in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
03:34

Optimized Quantitative Assessment of Enhancer RNA Stability in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Published on: November 21, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Eukaryotic gene transcription is a complex process regulated by transcription factors and DNA control sequences.
  • Recent genomic approaches have identified numerous enhancers and their functions.
  • Enhancers are crucial DNA elements that regulate gene expression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the activities of enhancers in metazoans.
  • To discuss the role of enhancers in regulating gene expression during early development.
  • To highlight the importance of enhancers in developmental processes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent genomic studies.
  • Analysis of enhancer activity in metazoan models.
  • Focus on cis-regulatory elements and their modifications.

Main Results:

  • Identification of a vast number of enhancers and their diverse functions.
  • Enhancers play a critical role in orchestrating gene expression patterns.
  • Multiple modifications of transcription factors and DNA control sequences fine-tune gene regulation.

Conclusions:

  • Enhancers are key regulators of gene expression in metazoans.
  • Understanding enhancer function is vital for comprehending early development.
  • Further research into enhancer mechanisms will illuminate developmental processes.