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XB-ART-51677
Nat Commun 2015 Dec 18;6:10148. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10148.
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Embryonic transcription is controlled by maternally defined chromatin state.

Hontelez S , van Kruijsbergen I , Georgiou G , van Heeringen SJ , Bogdanovic O , Lister R , Veenstra GJC .


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.

PubMed ID: 26679111
PMC ID: PMC4703837
Article link: Nat Commun
Grant support: [+]

Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced: crebbp gas1 gata2 gbx2 gbx2.2 nodal1 nog sia1 sia2

GEO Series: GSE67974: Xenbase,  NCBI

Article Images: [+] show captions
References [+] :
Akkers, A hierarchy of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 acquisition in spatial gene regulation in Xenopus embryos. 2009, Pubmed, Xenbase