Silencers and locus control regions: opposite sides of the same coin.
Whether or not genes are in an active or a repressed state in a cell depends on the relative effect of gene silencers and locus control regions (LCRs). Here, we suggest that these elements act as binary switches; the state that prevails (activated or repressed) probably depends on a competition between protein complex formation and the stability of the complexes formed at either of the two elements.
Kamakaka
R T
RT
Laboratory of Molecular Embryology, NICHD, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002843:Chromatin; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors