Location, location, location

The formation of euchromatin and heterochromatin divides the cell’s nucleus into regions of active and inactive genes. However, intriguingly, some active genes are located within heterochromatic regions at the nuclear periphery. In a new study published in Nature Communications, the Foisner lab reveals how these genes are anchored to the nuclear lamina. Their research uncovers a novel tethering mechanism, whereby proteins bind to enhancer-type cis-regulatory elements rather than directly to the genes they regulate.