Current challenges in understanding the role of enhancers in disease

Judith Barbara Zaugg; Pelin Sahlén; Robin Andersson; Meritxell Alberich-Jorda; Wouter de Laat; Bart Deplancke; Jorge Ferrer; Susanne Mandrup; Gioacchino Natoli; Dariusz Plewczynski; Alvaro Rada-Iglesias; Salvatore Spicuglia

doi:10.1038/s41594-022-00896-3

Current challenges in understanding the role of enhancers in disease

Judith Barbara Zaugg, Pelin Sahlén, Robin Andersson, Meritxell Alberich-Jorda, Wouter de Laat, Bart Deplancke, Jorge Ferrer, Susanne Mandrup, Gioacchino Natoli, Dariusz Plewczynski, Alvaro Rada-Iglesias, Salvatore Spicuglia

Hubrecht Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Book/Film/Article review › Scientific

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Enhancers play a central role in the spatiotemporal control of gene expression and tend to work in a cell-type-specific manner. In addition, they are suggested to be major contributors to phenotypic variation, evolution and disease. There is growing evidence that enhancer dysfunction due to genetic, structural or epigenetic mechanisms contributes to a broad range of human diseases referred to as enhanceropathies. Such mechanisms often underlie the susceptibility to common diseases, but can also play a direct causal role in cancer or Mendelian diseases. Despite the recent gain of insights into enhancer biology and function, we still have a limited ability to predict how enhancer dysfunction impacts gene expression. Here we discuss the major challenges that need to be overcome when studying the role of enhancers in disease etiology and highlight opportunities and directions for future studies, aiming to disentangle the molecular basis of enhanceropathies.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-022-00896-3
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 08 Dec 2022

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abstract = "Enhancers play a central role in the spatiotemporal control of gene expression and tend to work in a cell-type-specific manner. In addition, they are suggested to be major contributors to phenotypic variation, evolution and disease. There is growing evidence that enhancer dysfunction due to genetic, structural or epigenetic mechanisms contributes to a broad range of human diseases referred to as enhanceropathies. Such mechanisms often underlie the susceptibility to common diseases, but can also play a direct causal role in cancer or Mendelian diseases. Despite the recent gain of insights into enhancer biology and function, we still have a limited ability to predict how enhancer dysfunction impacts gene expression. Here we discuss the major challenges that need to be overcome when studying the role of enhancers in disease etiology and highlight opportunities and directions for future studies, aiming to disentangle the molecular basis of enhanceropathies.",

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AU - Zaugg, Judith Barbara

AU - Sahlén, Pelin

AU - Andersson, Robin

AU - Alberich-Jorda, Meritxell

AU - de Laat, Wouter

AU - Deplancke, Bart

AU - Ferrer, Jorge

AU - Mandrup, Susanne

AU - Natoli, Gioacchino

AU - Plewczynski, Dariusz

AU - Rada-Iglesias, Alvaro

AU - Spicuglia, Salvatore

PY - 2022/12/8

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N2 - Enhancers play a central role in the spatiotemporal control of gene expression and tend to work in a cell-type-specific manner. In addition, they are suggested to be major contributors to phenotypic variation, evolution and disease. There is growing evidence that enhancer dysfunction due to genetic, structural or epigenetic mechanisms contributes to a broad range of human diseases referred to as enhanceropathies. Such mechanisms often underlie the susceptibility to common diseases, but can also play a direct causal role in cancer or Mendelian diseases. Despite the recent gain of insights into enhancer biology and function, we still have a limited ability to predict how enhancer dysfunction impacts gene expression. Here we discuss the major challenges that need to be overcome when studying the role of enhancers in disease etiology and highlight opportunities and directions for future studies, aiming to disentangle the molecular basis of enhanceropathies.

AB - Enhancers play a central role in the spatiotemporal control of gene expression and tend to work in a cell-type-specific manner. In addition, they are suggested to be major contributors to phenotypic variation, evolution and disease. There is growing evidence that enhancer dysfunction due to genetic, structural or epigenetic mechanisms contributes to a broad range of human diseases referred to as enhanceropathies. Such mechanisms often underlie the susceptibility to common diseases, but can also play a direct causal role in cancer or Mendelian diseases. Despite the recent gain of insights into enhancer biology and function, we still have a limited ability to predict how enhancer dysfunction impacts gene expression. Here we discuss the major challenges that need to be overcome when studying the role of enhancers in disease etiology and highlight opportunities and directions for future studies, aiming to disentangle the molecular basis of enhanceropathies.

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Current challenges in understanding the role of enhancers in disease

Abstract

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