title: Chromatin insulators: lessons from the fly.
abstract: Chromatin insulators are DNA-protein complexes with broad functions in nuclear biology. Drosophila has at least five different types of insulators; recent results suggest that these different insulators share some components that may allow them to function through common mechanisms. Data from genome-wide localization studies of insulator proteins indicate a possible functional specialization, with different insulators playing distinct roles in nuclear biology. Cells have developed mechanisms to control insulator activity by recruiting specialized proteins or by covalent modification of core components. Current results suggest that insulators set up cell-specific blueprints of nuclear organization that may contribute to the establishment of different patterns of gene expression during cell differentiation and development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: B V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Gurudatta
authors.forename: Victor G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Corces
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D038101:Insulator Elements / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D029721:Drosophila Proteins