范围扩展器调解长距离增强器活动
Grace Bower1, Ethan W Hollingsworth1,2, Sandra H Jacinto1
1Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Nature
|July 3, 2025
概括
科学家们发现了一种新的DNA元素,即范围扩展器 (REX), 这一发现阐明了哺乳动物的长距离基因调节是如何发生的,
科学领域:
- 发育生物学
- 遗传学
- 分子生物学
背景情况:
- 哺乳动物转录增强剂通常会调节几十基基因的基因促进剂.
- 然而,一些增强剂在兆基距离上起作用,但底层的序列特征是未知的.
研究的目的:
- 确定能够实现长距离增强剂-促进剂相互作用的序列特征.
- 研究哺乳动物发育中的长距离基因调节机制.
主要方法:
- 在小鼠Shh位点进行体内增强剂替代实验.
- 范围扩展器 (REX) 元素的识别和描述.
- 在REX元素和ZRS增强剂中保存的基因的突变分析.
- 用于评估四肢发育的模拟小鼠.
主要成果:
- 短程和中程肢体增强剂不能在长距离激活基因表达.
- 一个新的cis-acting元素,REX,赋予长距离的调节活动.
- 将REX添加到其他增强剂中增加了多达一个数量级的相互作用范围.
- 在REX中保存的[C/T]AATTA主体基因对其活性至关重要,并富含远程肢体增强剂.
- 这些基因在ZRS增强剂中的突变取消了远程活性,导致严重的肢体缩小.
结论:
- REX元件是必要的,并且足以通过远程增强器进行远程激活.
- 一个特定的序列特征,包括[C/T]AATTA动机,与远程增强剂-促进剂相互作用有关.
- 这一发现为哺乳动物发育过程中的长距离基因调节机制提供了关键的见解.
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