scholarly journals Roles of Transposable Elements in the Different Layers of Gene Expression Regulation

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 5755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Drongitis ◽  
Francesco Aniello ◽  
Laura Fucci ◽  
Aldo Donizetti

The biology of transposable elements (TEs) is a fascinating and complex field of investigation. TEs represent a substantial fraction of many eukaryotic genomes and can influence many aspects of DNA function that range from the evolution of genetic information to duplication, stability, and gene expression. Their ability to move inside the genome has been largely recognized as a double-edged sword, as both useful and deleterious effects can result. A fundamental role has been played by the evolution of the molecular processes needed to properly control the expression of TEs. Today, we are far removed from the original reductive vision of TEs as “junk DNA”, and are more convinced that TEs represent an essential element in the regulation of gene expression. In this review, we summarize some of the more recent findings, mainly in the animal kingdom, concerning the active roles that TEs play at every level of gene expression regulation, including chromatin modification, splicing, and protein translation.

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1188-1194
Author(s):  
Dae-Soo Kim ◽  
Jae-Won Huh ◽  
Hong-Seok Ha ◽  
Tae-Hong Kim ◽  
Un-Jong Jo ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
pp. mcp.R120.002208
Author(s):  
Guido van Mierlo ◽  
Michiel Vermeulen

Regulation of gene expression is essential for the functioning of all eukaryotic organisms. Understanding gene expression regulation requires determining which proteins interact with regulatory elements in chromatin. Mass spectrometry-based analysis of chromatin has emerged as a powerful tool to identify proteins associated with gene regulation, as it allows studying protein function and protein complex formation in their in vivo chromatin-bound context. Total chromatin isolated from cells can be directly analysed using mass spectrometry or further fractionated into transcriptionally active and inactive chromatin prior to MS-based analysis. Newly formed chromatin that is assembled during DNA replication can also be specifically isolated and analysed. Furthermore, capturing specific chromatin domains facilitates the identification of previously unknown transcription factors interacting with these domains. Finally, in recent years, advances have been made towards identifying proteins that interact with a single genomic locus of interest. In this review, we highlight the power of chromatin proteomics approaches and how these provide complementary alternatives compared to conventional affinity purification methods. Furthermore, we discuss the biochemical challenges that should be addressed to consolidate and expand the role of chromatin proteomics as a key technology in the context of gene expression regulation and epigenetics research in health and disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Yao ◽  
Caiyun Jiang ◽  
Chenglong Li ◽  
Yongxia Li ◽  
Shan Jiang ◽  
...  

Background: Mammalian genes are regulated at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. These mechanisms may involve the direct promotion or inhibition of transcription via a regulator or post-transcriptional regulation through factors such as micro (mi)RNAs. Objective: This study aimed to construct gene regulation relationships modulated by causality inference-based miRNA-(transition factor)-(target gene) networks and analyze gene expression data to identify gene expression regulators. Methods: Mouse gene expression regulation relationships were manually curated from literature using a text mining method which was then employed to generate miRNA-(transition factor)-(target gene) networks. An algorithm was then introduced to identify gene expression regulators from transcriptome profiling data by applying enrichment analysis to these networks. Results: A total of 22,271 mouse gene expression regulation relationships were curated for 4,018 genes and 242 miRNAs. GEREA software was developed to perform the integrated analyses. We applied the algorithm to transcriptome data for synthetic miR-155 oligo-treated mouse CD4+ T-cells and confirmed that miR-155 is an important network regulator. The software was also tested on publicly available transcriptional profiling data for Salmonella infection, resulting in the identification of miR-125b as an important regulator. Conclusion: The causality inference-based miRNA-(transition factor)-(target gene) networks serve as a novel resource for gene expression regulation research, and GEREA is an effective and useful adjunct to the currently available methods. The regulatory networks and the algorithm implemented in the GEREA software package are available under a free academic license at website : http://www.thua45.cn/gerea.


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