The role of insulator elements in large-scale chromatin structure in interphase.
Insulator elements can be classified as enhancer-blocking or barrier insulators depending on whether they interfere with enhancer-promoter interactions or act as barriers against the spreading of heterochromatin. The former class may exert its function at least in part by attaching the chromatin fiber to a nuclear substrate such as the nuclear matrix, resulting in the formation of chromatin loops. The latter class functions by recruiting histone-modifying enzymes, although some barrier insulators have also been shown to create chromatin loops. These loops may correspond to functional nuclear domains containing clusters of co-expressed genes. Thus, insulators may determine specific patterns of nuclear organization that are important in establishing specific programs of gene expression during cell differentiation and development.
Dorman
Elizabeth R
ER
Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Bushey
Ashley M
AM
Corces
Victor G
VG
D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D038101:Insulator Elements / Q000502:physiology*; D007399:Interphase / Q000502:physiology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017510:Protein Folding
D002843:Chromatin