Impact of Interactions between Su(Hw)-Dependent Insulators on the Transvection Effect in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Transvection is a phenomenon of interallelic communication in which enhancers can activate a specific promoter located on a homologous chromosome. Insulators play a significant role in ensuring functional interactions between enhancers and promoters. In the presented work, we created a model where two or three copies of the insulator are located next to enhancers and promoters localized on homologous chromosomes. Using the Su(Hw) insulator as a model, we showed that the functional interaction between a pair of insulators promotes enhancer–promoter trans-interactions. The interaction between the three insulators, on the contrary, can lead to the formation of chromatin loops that sterically hinder the full enhancer–promoter interaction. The results of the work suggest the participation of insulators in the regulation of homologous chromosome pairing and in communication between distant genomic loci.