title: Surviving an identity crisis: a revised view of chromatin insulators in the genomics era.
abstract: The control of complex, developmentally regulated loci and partitioning of the genome into active and silent domains is in part accomplished through the activity of DNA-protein complexes termed chromatin insulators. Together, the multiple, well-studied classes of insulators in Drosophila melanogaster appear to be generally functionally conserved. In this review, we discuss recent genomic-scale experiments and attempt to reconcile these newer findings in the context of previously defined insulator characteristics based on classical genetic analyses and transgenic approaches. Finally, we discuss the emerging understanding of mechanisms of chromatin insulator regulation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Chromatin and epigenetic regulation of animal development.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Leah H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Matzat
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: leielissa@niddk.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Elissa P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D056426:Genetic Loci / Q000502:physiology*; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D038101:Insulator Elements / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Chromatin; Drosophila; Insulator; Nuclear organization