Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore.
NUS Centre for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore.
Cells. 2022 May 5;11(9):1560. doi: 10.3390/cells11091560.
Three-dimensional genome organization represents an additional layer in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Active transcription controlled by enhancers or super-enhancers has been extensively studied. Enhancers or super-enhancers can recruit activators or co-activators to activate target gene expression through long-range chromatin interactions. Chromatin interactions and phase separation play important roles in terms of enhancer or super-enhancer functioning. Silencers are another major type of cis-regulatory element that can mediate gene regulation by turning off or reducing gene expression. However, compared to active transcription, silencer studies are still in their infancy. This review covers the current knowledge of human silencers, especially the roles of chromatin interactions and phase separation in silencers. This review also proposes future directions for human silencer studies.
三维基因组组织代表了基因表达的表观遗传调控的另一个层次。增强子或超级增强子控制的活性转录已被广泛研究。增强子或超级增强子可以通过长距离染色质相互作用招募激活剂或共激活剂来激活靶基因表达。染色质相互作用和相分离在增强子或超级增强子的功能方面起着重要作用。沉默子是另一种主要的顺式调控元件，通过关闭或降低基因表达来调节基因表达。然而，与活性转录相比，沉默子的研究仍处于起步阶段。本综述涵盖了人类沉默子的最新知识，特别是染色质相互作用和相分离在沉默子中的作用。本综述还提出了人类沉默子研究的未来方向。
