About this Research Topic
Recent breakthroughs in epigenetics have deepened our understanding of gene transcription regulation, highlighting the intricate network involved, including transcription factors, chromatin regulators, and posttranslational modifications on histones. This complex web oversees the multi-layered regulation of gene expression, particularly through critical interactions between promoters and enhancers. Promoters, situated proximal to the genes they influence, act as hubs for transcription initiation, whereas enhancers, often located at varying distances from their target genes, fine-tune gene expression levels. Despite a wealth of information on chromatin and histone configurations marking promoters and enhancers, a cohesive link connecting the functional dynamics of promoters and enhancers in a gene-specific manner remains elusive.
This topic seeks to advance the field by integrating multi-omics data to elucidate these relationships more clearly. By combining genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, and possibly proteomic data, researchers can gain a more nuanced understanding of how promoters and enhancers interact across different biological contexts and conditions. Sophisticated tools like Chromatin Conformation Capture (3C) and its derivatives (e.g., Hi-C) have shed light on the long-range interactions within the genome, yet the challenge of pinpointing enhancer to gene connections persists due to the complex and non-linear nature of these interactions.
The focus of this research collection is on pioneering articles that leverage both existing and novel technologies to forge direct links between enhancers and promoters, contributing to the development of a comprehensive promoter-enhancer atlas. Specifically, the scope involves:
• Employing and enhancing bioinformatics tools to establish direct connections between enhancers and promoters.
• Introducing and validating new computational methods that improve the accuracy of these mappings.
• Exploring innovative genomic technologies that facilitate detailed and dynamic mapping of promoter-enhancer interactions.
By curating a diverse array of research efforts focused on these technological explorations, this research topic intends to push the boundaries of current genomic studies, improving our understanding of the regulatory genome in health and disease.
This topic seeks to advance the field by integrating multi-omics data to elucidate these relationships more clearly. By combining genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, and possibly proteomic data, researchers can gain a more nuanced understanding of how promoters and enhancers interact across different biological contexts and conditions. Sophisticated tools like Chromatin Conformation Capture (3C) and its derivatives (e.g., Hi-C) have shed light on the long-range interactions within the genome, yet the challenge of pinpointing enhancer to gene connections persists due to the complex and non-linear nature of these interactions.
The focus of this research collection is on pioneering articles that leverage both existing and novel technologies to forge direct links between enhancers and promoters, contributing to the development of a comprehensive promoter-enhancer atlas. Specifically, the scope involves:
• Employing and enhancing bioinformatics tools to establish direct connections between enhancers and promoters.
• Introducing and validating new computational methods that improve the accuracy of these mappings.
• Exploring innovative genomic technologies that facilitate detailed and dynamic mapping of promoter-enhancer interactions.
By curating a diverse array of research efforts focused on these technological explorations, this research topic intends to push the boundaries of current genomic studies, improving our understanding of the regulatory genome in health and disease.
Keywords: multi-omics, gene regulation, enhancers, promoters, genome tagging, sequencing, bioinformatics, tools
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
