The role of chromatin insulators in nuclear architecture and genome function

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kevin Van Bortle, Emory University; Victor Corces, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2013-04
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2012.11.003
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Current Opinion in Genetics and Development
• ISSN: 0959-437X
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 212
• End Page: 218
• Grant/Funding Information: Work in the authors’ laboratory is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01GM035463.
• Keywords: Epigenetics; CTCF; Chromatin; TFIIIC; Nuclear Organization
• Research Categories: Biology, Genetics

Abstract

Eukaryotic genomes are intricately arranged into highly organized yet dynamic structures that underlie patterns of gene expression and cellular identity. The recent adaptation of novel genomic strategies for assaying nuclear architecture has significantly extended and accelerated our ability to query the nature of genome organization and the players involved. In particular, recent explorations of physical arrangements and chromatin landscapes in higher eukaryotes have demonstrated that chromatin insulators, which mediate functional interactions between regulatory elements, appear to play an important role in these processes. Here we reflect on current findings and our rapidly expanding understanding of insulators and their role in nuclear architecture and genome function.