Trans-regulatory elements (TRE) are DNA sequences encoding upstream regulators (ie. trans-acting factors), which may modify or regulate the expression of distant genes. Trans-acting factors interact with cis-regulatory elements to regulate gene expression. TRE mediates expression profiles of a large number of genes via trans-acting factors. While TRE mutations affect gene expression, it is also one of the main driving factors for evolutionary divergence in gene expression. Source: Wikipedia (en)