How do the ENCODE data vastly help determine which enhancers regulate which genes?

Question

Accepted Answer

Everyone. Welcome back, here's our next question which of the following cis acting regulatory elements interact with promoters to control target gene transcription. Let's first recall from our content, video what cis acting regulatory elements are. And these are regions of non coding DNA which regulate transcription by binding to transcription factors. Important note that the cis acting regulatory elements or Cres our D. N. A sequences while the transcription factors that bind to our proteins. So with that in mind let's go on. We're also looking for something that interacts with promoters to control target gene transcription. So we're thinking about this D. N. A sequence that with the aid of transcription factors interact with the promoter. And we think of promoters, we think of the initiation of transcription and up regulating gene transcription. So what we're looking for here, his choice, the enhancers and indeed enhancers Bind two activators. Activators being transcription factors to form a complex that binds to the promoter. So we see that we have they interact with their Cres non coding DNA. They interact with the promoter. They form a complex with activators that binds the promoter and that enhances transcription, turns up the transcription of the gene and I'm just gonna put up a quick diagram here to help kind of visualize the situation here is the enhancer. This D. N. A sequence here and you see here is our promoter region so the activators which are transcription factors proteins here bind to this enhancer region of the D. N. A. Along with other transcription factors that interacts with this promoter sequence. You can see the D. N. A. Kind of loops around to allow this whole complex of transcription factors to bind to the promoter and that turns up the expression of this. The transcription of the gene right here next to the promoter. The enhancer is at a distance from the promoter we can notice. So let's look through other answer choices just to see why they are not correct. We've got Choice A here, silencers. Well, silencers are Cres just like enhancers but they interact with transcription transcription factors to decrease transcription. Um They interact with transcription factors usually repressors and they're not forming a complex with the promoter. They're usually doing something like um binding to areas near the promoter and actually blocking transcription. So they're the opposite effect of enhancers. And that's why they're not a correct answer here. Choice B is transcription factors. Well, as we've been talking about them all along, transcription factors are not cis regulatory elements at all their proteins. And as we discussed in talking about enhancers and silencers transcription factors are those proteins that bind to regulatory DNA sequences in the regulation of transcription. So that's why that's not correct. And finally, Choice C activators, While activators are also proteins. Activators are kind of transcription factor so they are transcription factors that bind to enhancers or other regulatory elements to increase transcription. And we do see these activators in our little diagram. They are bound to the enhancer portion of the DNA. But activators again are proteins, transcription factors not suspecting regulatory elements, so that's why they're not our answer. Cross that off. So again, which of the following cis acting regulatory elements interact with promoters to control target dream transcription and that would be choice D enhancers. See you in the next video.

How do the ENCODE data vastly help determine which enhancers regulate which genes?

Verified Solution

Key Concepts

ENCODE Project

Enhancers

Gene Regulation