title: Transcriptional repressors: multifaceted regulators of gene expression.
abstract: Through decades of research it has been established that some chromatin-modifying proteins can repress transcription, and thus are generally termed 'repressors'. Although classic repressors undoubtedly silence transcription, genome-wide studies have shown that many repressors are associated with actively transcribed loci and that this is a widespread phenomenon. Here, we review the evidence for the presence of repressors at actively transcribed regions and assess what roles they might be playing. We propose that the modulation of expression levels by chromatin-modifying, co-repressor complexes provides transcriptional fine-tuning that drives development.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QR  UK.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Aoife
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Shaughnessy
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hendrich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006655:Histone Deacetylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D056245:Mi-2 Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C492013:Mbd3 protein, mouse; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; D006655:Histone Deacetylases; D056245:Mi-2 Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase Complex; D008239:Lysine