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Updated: May 11, 2026
08:08
Formaldehyde-assisted Isolation of Regulatory Elements to Measure Chromatin Accessibility in Mammalian Cells
Published on: April 2, 2018
Facilitators may represent a new class of regulatory elements
Mira Kassouf1, Alexandra Rampasekova1, Doug Higgs2
1Laboratory of Gene Regulation, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|February 19, 2026
Summary
Researchers identified a new class of gene regulators called "facilitators." These elements, distinct from classical enhancers, help boost gene expression by organizing the genome
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Gene expression is regulated by cis-regulatory elements like enhancers, promoters, and insulators.
- Mammalian genomes contain numerous cis-regulatory elements, many identified by chromatin signatures.
- Some elements classified as enhancers may not function as classical enhancers in traditional assays.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of enhancer-like elements that augment enhancer activity.
- To propose a new class of regulatory elements termed 'facilitators'.
- To explore the mechanisms by which facilitators regulate gene expression.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of chromatin data to identify potential cis-regulatory elements.
- Review of existing evidence on the function of enhancer-like sequences.
- Theoretical modeling of proposed facilitator mechanisms.
Main Results:
- A subset of uncharacterized cis-acting sequences exhibit enhancer-like properties.
- These elements, termed 'facilitators,' can enhance classical enhancer activity.
- Two potential mechanisms for facilitator function are proposed: enhancing factor concentration or organizing chromatin architecture.
Conclusions:
- Facilitators may represent a distinct class of regulatory elements.
- They play a crucial role in facilitating classical enhancer activity and gene expression.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms of facilitator function.
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