Super-enhancers: Asset management in immune cell genomes.
Super-enhancers (SEs) are regions of the genome consisting of clusters of regulatory elements bound with very high amounts of transcription factors, and this architecture appears to be the hallmark of genes and noncoding RNAs linked with cell identity. Recent studies have identified SEs in CD4(+) T cells and have further linked these regions to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with immune-mediated disorders, pointing to an important role for these structures in the T cell differentiation and function. Here we review the features that define SEs, and discuss their function within the broader understanding of the mechanisms that define immune cell identity and function. We propose that SEs present crucial regulatory hubs, coordinating intrinsic and extrinsic differentiation signals, and argue that delineating these regions will provide important insight into the factors and mechanisms that define immune cell identity.
Lymphocyte Cell Biology Section, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Steven
S
Witte
Lymphocyte Cell Biology Section, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
John J
JJ
O'Shea
Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: vahedi@mail.med.upenn.edu.
Golnaz
G
Vahedi
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016678:Genome; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D014157:Transcription Factors