Application of comparative genomics to the analysis of vertebrate regulatory elements.

Abstract

Gene regulatory regions (also known as 'cis-regulatory modules') in vertebrates are poorly understood and annotated by comparison with protein-coding sequences. The short and degenerate sequences of regulatory elements and their distribution over large intergenic and intronic regions pose a major challenge to genomics scientists. Comparative genomics can be used to identify putative regulatory regions, and to analyse regulatory regions into their constituent transcription factor binding sites. There is need for high throughput assay systems to analyse the function of predicted vertebrate gene regulatory regions.