Characterization of the neural stem cell gene regulatory network identifies OLIG2 as a multifunctional regulator of self-renewal.

ABSTRACT: The gene regulatory network (GRN) that supports neural stem cell (NS cell) self-renewal has so far been poorly characterized. Knowledge of the central transcription factors (TFs), the noncoding gene regulatory regions that they bind to, and the genes whose expression they modulate will be crucial in unlocking the full therapeutic potential of these cells. Here, we use DNase-seq in combination with analysis of histone modifications to identify multiple classes of epigenetically and functionally distinct cis-regulatory elements (CREs). Through motif analysis and ChIP-seq, we identify several of the crucial TF regulators of NS cells. At the core of the network are TFs of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), nuclear factor I (NFI), SOX, and FOX families, with CREs often densely bound by several

SUBMITTER: Mateo JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4317172 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature