The genomes of higher eukaryotes are partitioned into topologically associated domains or TADs, and insulators (also known as boundary elements) are the key elements responsible for their formation and maintenance. Insulators were first identified and extensively studied in Drosophila as well as mammalian genomes, and have also been described in yeast and plants. In addition, many insulator proteins are known in Drosophila, and some have been investigated in mammals. However, much less is known about this important class of non-coding DNA elements in plant genomes. In this review, we take a detailed look at known plant insulators across different species and provide an overview of potential determinants of plant insulator functions, including cis-elements and boundary proteins. We also discuss methods previously used in attempts to identify plant insulators, provide a perspective on their importance for research and biotechnology, and discuss areas of potential future research.

中文翻译：

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植物中的绝缘子：进展和未解决的问题

高等真核生物的基因组被划分为拓扑相关域或 TAD，绝缘体（也称为边界元素）是负责其形成和维持的关键元素。绝缘体首先在果蝇和哺乳动物基因组中被鉴定和广泛研究，并且在酵母和植物中也有描述。此外，许多绝缘蛋白在果蝇中是已知的，有些已经在哺乳动物中进行了研究。然而，人们对植物基因组中这类重要的非编码 DNA 元件知之甚少。在这篇综述中，我们详细研究了不同物种的已知植物绝缘体，并概述了植物绝缘体功能的潜在决定因素，包括顺式元件和边界蛋白。