Biomedical Science Letters (대한의생명과학회지)

The Korean Society for Biomedical Laboratory Sciences (대한의생명과학회)
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Action Mechanism of Enhancers for Activating Gene Transcription

  • Yea Woon Kim (Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Healthcare Medical Science and Engineering, Inje University) ;
  • AeRi Kim (Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University)
  • Received : 2023.08.16
  • Accepted : 2023.09.22
  • Published : 2023.09.30
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Abstract

Enhancers are cis-elements to regulate transcription of cell/tissue-specific genes in multicellular organisms. These elements locate in upstream or downstream regions of target genes and are found in a long distance up to 100 Kb in some cases. Transcription factors and coactivators bind to enhancers in a chromatin environment. Enhancers appear to facilitate the transcription of target genes by communicating with promoters and activating them. As transcription activation mechanism of enhancers, chromatin looping between enhancers and promoters, tracking of enhancer activity to promoters along the intervening regions, and movement of enhancers and promoters into transcription condensates have been suggested based on various molecular and cellular biology studies. These mechanisms are likely to act together rather than exclusive each other for gene transcription. Understanding of enhancer action mechanism may provide a way to regulate the transcription of cell/tissue-specific genes relating with aging or various diseases.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by a 2-Year Research Grant of Pusan National University.

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