How enhancers work
An enhancer still activates its gene after being moved 5 kb farther upstream, flipped in orientation, or placed in an intron. This is possible because enhancers:
Answer B: explanation for every choice
A
The TATA box is part of the core promoter, but enhancers can sit far away.
B
Correct. Activator proteins bound at the enhancer contact the promoter's machinery through looping, regardless of the distance or orientation.
C
Enhancers are regulatory DNA, not protein-coding sequences.
D
Enhancers usually act on genes on the same chromosome.
TakeawayEnhancers work at a distance, in either orientation, through DNA looping.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID bb170.