Locus and cell typespecific epigenetic switching

Authors: YingTao Zhao Maria Fasolino Zhaolan Zhou

Publish Date: 2016/07/18

Volume: 11, Issue: 4, Pages: 311-322

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Abstract

Epigenomic reconfiguration including changes in DNA methylation and histone modifications is crucial for the differentiation of embryonic stem cells ESCs into somatic cells However the extent to which the epigenome is reconfigured and the interplay between components of the epigenome during cellular differentiation remain poorly definedWe found that global DNA methylation levels are lower in somatic cells compared to ESCs in both species We also found that 80 of regions with histone modification occupancy differ between human ESCs and the two human somatic cell types Approximately 70 of the reconfigurations in DNA methylation and histone modifications are locus and cell typespecific Intriguingly the loss of DNA methylation is accompanied by the gain of different histone modifications in a locus and cell typespecific manner Further examination of transcriptional changes associated with epigenetic reconfiguration at promoter regions revealed an epigenetic switching for gene regulation—a transition from stable gene silencing mediated by DNA methylation in ESCs to flexible gene repression facilitated by repressive histone modifications in somatic cells

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