Evolutionary Changes in the Chromatin Landscape Contribute to Reorganization of a Developmental Gene Network During Rapid Life History Evolution in Sea Urchins.

ABSTRACT: Chromatin configuration is highly dynamic during embryonic development in animals, exerting an important point of control in transcriptional regulation. Yet there exists remarkably little information about the role of evolutionary changes in chromatin configuration to the evolution of gene expression and organismal traits. Genome-wide assays of chromatin configuration, coupled with whole-genome alignments, can help address this gap in knowledge in several ways. In this study we present a comparative analysis of regulatory element sequences and accessibility throughout embryogenesis in three sea urchin species with divergent life histories: a lecithotroph Heliocidaris erythrogramma, a closely related planktotroph H. tuberculata, and a distantly related planktotroph Lytechinus variegatus. We

SUBMITTER: Davidson PL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9435058 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature