Noncoding transcription controls the developmental dynamics of long-range gene regulation.

Authors

Philippe J Batut, Michael S Levine

Published in

Science (New York, N.Y.). Pages eaek5696. Sep 10, 2026. Epub Sep 10, 2026.

Abstract

The genomic regions regulating gene expression are often themselves transcribed into a variety of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). However, the regulatory roles of this noncoding transcription remain largely unknown. By using live imaging, we reveal that the sequential transcription of ncRNAs emanating from distinct regulatory elements underlies gene activation in Drosophila embryos. Single-allele co-visualization uncovers that optimal gene activation is achieved by only moderate levels of enhancer activity. Disrupting enhancer-associated ncRNAs causes precocious gene activation, providing evidence that ncRNAs control the timing of gene expression in development. We further show that enhancer transcription can regulate long-range interactions within complex regulatory landscapes. We propose that ncRNAs locally modulate regulatory element activity in cis to shape genome organization and orchestrate the temporal control of gene expression in development.

PMID:
42721265
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 11 Sep 2026.

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