It is not unreasonable to assume that in the near future next-generation
sequencing techniques will allow the sequencing of all the DNA and expressed
types of RNA involved in a given response or process. Such a range of data will
be necessary to unravel the complexities of the multiple layers involved in the
regulation of gene expression.
In this article we discuss a broad range of studies about gene regulation. These
involve studies of processes such as transcription and splicing, the production of a
variety of transcripts, and the involvement of protein–nucleic acid composites such
as chromatin. We seek to shed light on common themes that are beginning to develop
in these rapidly evolving, but intimately related, fields.