Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Center for Molecular Systems Biology, Institute of Genetics & Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China.
Epigenomics. 2011 Feb;3(1):59-72. doi: 10.2217/epi.10.75.
Nuclear receptors (NRs) represent a vital class of ligand-activated transcription factors responsible for coordinately regulating the expression of genes involved in numerous biological processes. Transcriptional regulation by NRs is conducted through interactions with multiple coactivator or corepressor complexes that modify the chromatin environment to facilitate or inhibit RNA polymerase II binding and transcription initiation. In recent years, studies have identified specific biological roles for cofactors mediating NR signaling through epigenetic modifications such as acetylation and methylation of histones. Intriguingly, genome-wide analysis of NR and cofactor localization has both confirmed findings from single-gene studies and revealed new insights into the relationships between NRs, cofactors and target genes in determining gene expression. Here, we review recent developments in the understanding of epigenetic regulation by NRs across the genome within the context of the well-established background of cofactor complexes and their roles in histone modification.
核受体 (NRs) 是一类重要的配体激活转录因子，负责协调调节参与多种生物过程的基因表达。NRs 通过与多个共激活或核心抑制复合物相互作用来进行转录调控，这些复合物可改变染色质环境，促进或抑制 RNA 聚合酶 II 的结合和转录起始。近年来，研究已经确定了通过组蛋白乙酰化和甲基化等表观遗传修饰来介导 NR 信号的共因子的特定生物学作用。有趣的是，对 NR 和共因子定位的全基因组分析不仅证实了单基因研究的结果，还揭示了 NR、共因子和靶基因在决定基因表达方面的关系的新见解。在这里，我们回顾了在共因子复合物及其在组蛋白修饰中的作用这一既定背景下，对整个基因组中 NR 进行表观遗传调控的最新研究进展。
