Globalisation reaches gene regulation: the case for vertebrate limb development.
Analysis of key regulators of vertebrate limb development has revealed that the cis-regulatory regions controlling their expression are often located several hundred kilobases upstream of the transcription units. These far up- or down-stream cis-regulatory regions tend to reside within rather large, functionally and structurally unrelated genes. Molecular analysis is beginning to reveal the complexity of these large genomic landscapes, which control the co-expression of clusters of diverse genes by this novel type of long-range and globally acting cis-regulatory region. An increasing number of spontaneous mutations in vertebrates, including humans, are being discovered inactivating or altering such global control regions. Thereby, the functions of a seemingly distant but essential gene are disrupted rather than the closest.
Developmental Genetics, DKBW Centre for Biomedicine, University of Basel Medical School, Mattenstrasse 28, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland. aimee.zuniga@unibas.ch
Aimée
A
Zuniga
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005121:Extremities / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D018878:Limb Buds; D008957:Models, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors