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Enhancer evolution

Genome synteny reveals hidden enhancer conservation

Enhancer sequences evolve rapidly, which has led to the prevailing view that most are not functionally conserved across species. A study now challenges this assumption by leveraging interspecies point projection — a method that uses genome synteny to uncover hidden enhancer conservation.

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Fig. 1: Re-evaluating the conservation of regulatory elements using synteny projections.

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Acknowledgements

A.d.M. is funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant (950230).

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Correspondence to Alex de Mendoza.

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de Mendoza, A. Genome synteny reveals hidden enhancer conservation. Nat Genet 57, 1328–1329 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02194-2

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