As mammalian tissues have limited regenerative capacity, understanding how regeneration processes are controlled has considerable clinical potential. Kang et al. investigated regulatory sequences associated with the activation of regenerative programmes. By studying regenerating tissues in zebrafish, they identified a 1.3 kb sequence (termed LEN) in the enhancer region of the leptin b gene (lepb), which, when placed upstream of reporter genes, could drive their robust expression selectively following injury. Using LEN and the minimal lepb promoter, the authors were able to induce ectopic expression of both pro- and anti-regenerative factors in the injured tissues and to modulate the regeneration process. Importantly, LEN could also drive reporter gene expression following injury in mice, opening exciting new avenues in the field of regenerative biology.
References
Kang, J. et al. Modulation of tissue repair by regeneration enhancer elements. Nature http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature17644 (2016)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Strzyz, P. Switching it on and off with enhancers. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 17, 264 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm.2016.51
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm.2016.51