Configuring the Code: Enhancer-Promoter Arrangement and Transcriptional Regulation

Abstract

The precise spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression through enhancer-promoter (E-P) interactions represents a fundamental mechanism underlying cellular differentiation and organismal development in multicellular eukaryotes. Despite extensive studies on enhancer-mediated gene regulation, a systematic understanding of how specific E-P configurations affect transcriptional dynamics remains incomplete. Recent advances in live-imaging, single-cell assays, and chromatin conformation capture technologies have enabled unprecedented insights into these dynamic regulatory processes by providing temporal resolution and single-cell specificity that complement traditional population-based approaches. This review examines recent findings on how E-P distance, enhancer orientation and positioning, boundary elements, and multi-way interactions collectively influence gene expression. Key insights include non-linear distance effects on gene expression, enhancer positioning-dependent transcriptional kinetics, context-dependent boundary element function, and synergistic enhancer cooperation that ensures robust developmental programs. Together, these configuration-dependent effects underscore the intricate and dynamic nature of E-P communication in precise transcriptional control across development and evolution.

Keywords: enhancer; live imaging; promoter; transcription regulation.