基因绝缘子——一类新发现的基因调节元件

最近几年,一类称为“绝缘子”的新的基因元件被众多的实验室发现和证实,大大丰富了我们对基因在染色质环境中如何形成拓扑学上独立的调节单元的认识。这个刚刚被找到的又一个基因“黑匣子”,尽管我们对其仍是一知半解,但让人们意外和兴奋的是:这类基因元件能给我们在转基因动物和基因治疗方面的研究和应用提供新的工具 。

Insulator: A Novel Genetic Regulatory Element (A Review Article)

Insulator is a new class of genetic regulatory elements found widely in both invertebrates and vertebrates. One of the possible biological functions of the insulator is as a boundary element that separates the active and inactive chromatin domains. The insulator element can shield a locus against outside influences such as an inappropriate activation by another regulatory element from nearby chromatin or a silencing effect from the heterochromatinization of a condensed chromatin. Several models have been proposed to explain the mechanisms for the insulator's actions. The unique property of the insulator as a protector against chromosomal position effects makes it useful for use in creating transgenic animals and in human gene therapy.