Deletion Analysis: Mapping Enhancers

Deletion Analysis works to find enhancers that can be many kilobases away from the start site of a gene. By taking a longer stretch of DNA sequence, and using a restriction enzyme to cut at various sites of the sequence, when the modified sequence inserted into a plasmid vector and placed within the cell, the amount of reporter gene indicates whether transcription has been affected. Comparison between transcription of various modified lengths of the sequence from longest sequence to shortest sequence reveals the location of the enhancer in an interval of bases. This technique is not as precise, but it still finds the region of the enhancer element, much in the same manner that a linker mutation technique does, by seeing where transcription stops. The region of the enhancer element is found within the difference of the bases of the closest longer sequence trial and the sequence where the transcription stops.