Distal enhancers regulate mammalian early embryonic lineage differentiation through long-range interactions.

ABSTRACT: Histone modifications are key regulators of cell lineage differentiation; however, the roles of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) and high-order chromatin structure in the trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) remain unclear. Using ultra-low-input multi-omics, we profiled H3K27ac, chromatin accessibility, and the transcriptome in both the TE and ICM. Lineage-specific H3K27ac was predominantly enriched at distal enhancers rather than promoters, indicating that first-lineage differentiation relies on distal enhancer activity. Integration with chromatin accessibility data identified key transcription factors cooperating with H3K27ac during peri-implantation. Analysis of high-order chromatin structure revealed lineage-specific enhancer-promoter loops. Further, we identified and

SUBMITTER: Zhu Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12820533 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature