Final answer:
SHH, or Sonic Hedgehog, is not a cis-acting element but a protein that acts as a signaling molecule which interacts with proteins that regulate cis-acting elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
SHH, or Sonic Hedgehog, is not a cis-acting element; it is actually a protein that acts as a signaling molecule. However, to address the broader question, a cis-acting element refers to DNA sequences such as transcription factor binding sites within or near the promoter that regulate the transcription of a gene adjacent to it. These include promoter-proximal elements like the CAAT box and the GC box, as well as enhancers which can be located further away from the promoter. Enhancers bind transcription factors to increase the rate of transcription of a gene. SHH would interact with these cis-acting elements indirectly through the proteins that it regulates.