Enhancers with tissue-specific activity are enriched in intronic regions

Abstract

Tissue function and homeostasis reflect the gene expression signature by which the combination of ubiquitous and tissue-specific genes contribute to the tissue maintenance and stimuli-responsive function. Enhancers are central to control this tissue-specific gene expression pattern. Here, we explore the correlation between the genomic location of enhancers and their role in tissue-specific gene expression. We find that enhancers showing tissue-specific activity are highly enriched in intronic regions and regulate the expression of genes involved in tissue-specific functions, whereas housekeeping genes are more often controlled by intergenic enhancers, common to many tissues. Notably, an intergenic-to-intronic active enhancers continuum is observed in the transition from developmental to adult stages: the most differentiated tissues present higher rates of intronic enhancers, whereas the lowest rates are observed in embryonic stem cells. Altogether, our results suggest that the genomic location of active enhancers is key for the tissue-specific control of gene expression.