Enhancer RNAs: the new molecules of transcription.
In the past few years, technological advances in nucleotide sequencing have culminated in a greater understanding of the complexity of the human transcriptome. Notably, the discovery that distal regulatory elements known as enhancers are transcribed and such enhancer-derived transcripts (eRNAs) serve a critical function in transcriptional activation has added a new dimension to transcriptional regulation. Here we review recent insights into the tissue-specific and temporal-specific gene regulation brought about by the discovery of eRNAs.
Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Fan
F
Lai
Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: Shiekhattar@wistar.org.
Ramin
R
Shiekhattar
D000818:Animals; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012313:RNA