Long genes linked to autism spectrum disorders harbor broad enhancer-like chromatin domains.

ABSTRACT: Genetic variants associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are enriched in genes encoding synaptic proteins and chromatin regulators. Although the role of synaptic proteins in ASDs is widely studied, the mechanism by which chromatin regulators contribute to ASD risk remains poorly understood. Upon profiling and analyzing the transcriptional and epigenomic features of genes expressed in the cortex, we uncovered a unique set of long genes that contain broad enhancer-like chromatin domains (BELDs) spanning across their entire gene bodies. Analyses of these BELD genes show that they are highly transcribed with frequent RNA polymerase II (Pol II) initiation and low Pol II pausing, and they exhibit frequent chromatin-chromatin interactions within their gene bodies. These BELD features are

SUBMITTER: Zhao YT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6028126 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature