Defining a genomic radius for long-range enhancer action: duplicated conserved non-coding elements hold the key.
Many conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) in vertebrate genomes have been shown to function as tissue-specific enhancers. However, the target genes of most CNEs are unknown. Here we show that the target genes of duplicated CNEs can be predicted by considering their neighbouring paralogous genes. This enables us to provide the first systematic estimate of the genomic range for distal cis-regulatory interactions in the human genome: half of CNEs are >250 kb away from their associated gene.
Vavouri
Tanya
T
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK, CB10 1SA. tv1@sanger.ac.uk
McEwen
Gayle K
GK
Woolfe
Adam
A
Gilks
Walter R
WR
Elgar
Greg
G
D000818:Animals; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D020440:Gene Duplication; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics*; D023741:Takifugu / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D014157:Transcription Factors