SOX9 is dispensable for the initiation of epigenetic remodeling and the activation of marker genes at the onset of chondrogenesis.

ABSTRACT: SOX9 controls cell lineage fate and differentiation in major biological processes. It is known as a potent transcriptional activator of differentiation-specific genes, but its earliest targets and its contribution to priming chromatin for gene activation remain unknown. Here, we address this knowledge gap using chondrogenesis as a model system. By profiling the whole transcriptome and the whole epigenome of wild-type and Sox9-deficient mouse embryo limb buds, we uncover multiple structural and regulatory genes, including Fam101a, Myh14, Sema3c and Sema3d, as specific markers of precartilaginous condensation, and we provide evidence of their direct transactivation by SOX9. Intriguingly, we find that SOX9 helps remove epigenetic signatures of transcriptiona

SUBMITTER: Liu CF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6078338 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature