Matrix‐associated Regions (MARs) and Scaffold Attachment Regions (SARs)

Sergey V Razin, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Published online: September 2005

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0005035

Matrix-associated regions and scaffold attachment regions are eukaryotic deoxyribonucleic acid sequence elements that can selectively bind isolated nuclear matrix in the presence of a vast excess of competitor prokaryotic DNA. They are thought to participate in chromatin loop anchorage to the nuclear matrix, although this supposition lacks direct experimental proof.

Keywords: nuclear matrix; nuclear scaffold; DNA loop anchorage regions; chromatin domain bordering elements

 References
    Bode J, Schlake T, Rios-Ramirez M, et al. (1995) Scaffold/matrix-attached regions: structural properties creating transcriptionally active loci. International Reviews of Cytology 162A: 389–454.
    Boulikas T (1995) Chromatin domains and prediction of MAR sequences. International Reviews of Cytology 162A: 279–388.
    Cockerill PN and Garrard WT (1986) Chromosomal loop anchorage of the kappa immunoglobulin gene occurs next to the enhancer in a region containing topoisomerase II sites. Cell 44: 273–282.
    van Drunen CM, Sewalt RG, Oosterling RW, et al. (1999) A bipartite sequence element associated with matrix/scaffold attachment regions. Nucleic Acids Research 27: 2924–2930.
    Iarovaia OV, Hancock R, Lagarkova MA, Miassod R and Razin SV (1996) Mapping of genomic DNA loop organization in a 500-kilobase region of the Drosophila X chromosome using the topoisomerase II-mediated DNA loop excision protocol. Molecular Cell Biology 16: 302–308.
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    book Razin SV (1997) The Nuclear Matrix and Spatial Organization of Chromosomal DNA Domains. Austin, TX: RG Landes Company.
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    Strick R and Laemmli UK (1996) SARs are cis DNA elements of chromosome dynamics: synthesis of a SAR repressor protein. Cell 83: 1137–1148.
 Further Reading
    Benham C, Kohwi-Shigematsu T and Bode J (1997) Stress-induced duplex DNA destabilisation in scaffold/matrix attachment regions. Journal of Molecular Biology 274: 181–196.
    Bode J, Benham C, Knopp A and Mielke C (2000) Transcriptional augmentation: modulation of gene expression by scaffold/matrix-attached regions. Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression 10: 73–90.
    Bode J, Stengert-Iber M, Schlake T and Dietz-Pfeilstetter A (1996) Scaffold/matrix-attached regions: topological switches with multiple regulatory functions. Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression 6: 115–138.
    Forrester WC, Fernandez LA and Grosschedl R (1999) Nuclear matrix attachment regions antagonize methylation-dependent repression of long-range enhancer–promoter interactions. Genes and Development 13: 3003–3014.
    Hart CM and Laemmli UK (1998) Facilitation of chromatin dynamics by SARs. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 8: 519–525.
    Jenuwein T, Forrester WC, Fernandez-Herrero LA, et al. (1997) Extension of chromatin accessibility by nuclear matrix attachment regions. Nature 385: 269–272.
    Namciu SJ, Blochlinger KB and Fournier RE (1998) Human matrix attachment regions insulate transgene expression from chromosomal position effects in Drosophila melanogaster. Molecular Cell Biology 18: 2382–2391.
    Poljak L, Seum C, Mattioni T and Laemmli UK (1994) SARs stimulate but do not confer position independent gene expression. Nucleic Acids Research 22: 4386–4394.
    Scheuermann RH and Garrard WT (1999) MARs of antigen receptor and co-receptor genes. Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression 9: 295–310.
    Swedlow JR and Hirano T (1996) Fuzzy sequences, specific attachments? Chromosome dynamics. Current Biology 6: 544–547.

Related Sub-Topics:

Cell Cytoskeleton | Basic Cell Biology, Protein, RNA and DNA | Cell Compartments and Cellular Organelles | Nucleic Acid Structure | Chromosomes and Chromatin Modifications | DNA Structure and Function
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Article Title: Matrix‐associated Regions (MARs) and Scaffold Attachment Regions (SARs)
 
How to Cite close
Razin, Sergey V(Sep 2005) Matrix‐associated Regions (MARs) and Scaffold Attachment Regions (SARs). In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0005035]