Embryonic transcription is controlled by maternally defined chromatin state

Saartje Hontelez, Ila van Kruijsbergen, Georgios Georgiou, Simon J. van Heeringen, Ozren Bogdanovic, Ryan Lister and Gert Jan C. Veenstra ()
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Saartje Hontelez: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Radboud University
Ila van Kruijsbergen: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Radboud University
Georgios Georgiou: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Radboud University
Simon J. van Heeringen: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Radboud University
Ozren Bogdanovic: ARC Center of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia
Ryan Lister: ARC Center of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia
Gert Jan C. Veenstra: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Radboud University

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Histone-modifying enzymes are required for cell identity and lineage commitment, however little is known about the regulatory origins of the epigenome during embryonic development. Here we generate a comprehensive set of epigenome reference maps, which we use to determine the extent to which maternal factors shape chromatin state in Xenopus embryos. Using α-amanitin to inhibit zygotic transcription, we find that the majority of H3K4me3- and H3K27me3-enriched regions form a maternally defined epigenetic regulatory space with an underlying logic of hypomethylated islands. This maternal regulatory space extends to a substantial proportion of neurula stage-activated promoters. In contrast, p300 recruitment to distal regulatory regions requires embryonic transcription at most loci. The results show that H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 are part of a regulatory space that exerts an extended maternal control well into post-gastrulation development, and highlight the combinatorial action of maternal and zygotic factors through proximal and distal regulatory sequences.

Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10148

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10148

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