Project description:We discover that ER71/ETV2 initiates hemangiogenic program by activating blood and endothelial cell lineage specifying genes while enhancing FLK1 expression and expanding hemangioblast population. Furthermore, ER71/ETV2 establishes an ETS hierarchy by directly activating Ets genes in hematopoietic and endothelial cell lineage development. As such, ER71/ETV2-initiated blood and endothelial cell program is maintained by ER71/ETV2 downstream ETS factors through an ETS switching mechanism. ChIP-seq analysis of ER71 in differentiated embryonic stem cells
Project description:A central question in transcription factor biology is how a specific member of a transcription factor family occupies a promoter in vivo, when all family members bind the same consensus site in vitro. To uncover the mechanisms regulating DNA binding specificity within transcription factor families, we have used the techniques of chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with genome-wide microarray analysis to query the occupancy of three members of the ETS transcription factor family in a human T-cell line. Unexpectedly, redundant occupancy was frequently detected while specific occupancy was less likely. An unbiased bioinformatics approach correlated redundant binding with consensus ETS binding sequences near transcription start sites, whereas specific binding sites diverged dramatically from the consensus, were coupled with a site for a cooperative binding partner, and were found further from transcription start sites. The specific and redundant DNA binding modes illustrate the regulation of transcription factor specificity in vivo and suggest two distinct roles for members of the ETS transcription factor family. Keywords: ChIP-chip
Project description:We discover that ER71/ETV2 initiates hemangiogenic program by activating blood and endothelial cell lineage specifying genes while enhancing FLK1 expression and expanding hemangioblast population. Furthermore, ER71/ETV2 establishes an ETS hierarchy by directly activating Ets genes in hematopoietic and endothelial cell lineage development. As such, ER71/ETV2-initiated blood and endothelial cell program is maintained by ER71/ETV2 downstream ETS factors through an ETS switching mechanism.
Project description:A central question in transcription factor biology is how a specific member of a transcription factor family occupies a promoter in vivo, when all family members bind the same consensus site in vitro. To uncover the mechanisms regulating DNA binding specificity within transcription factor families, we have used the techniques of chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with genome-wide microarray analysis to query the occupancy of three members of the ETS transcription factor family in a human T-cell line. Unexpectedly, redundant occupancy was frequently detected while specific occupancy was less likely. An unbiased bioinformatics approach correlated redundant binding with consensus ETS binding sequences near transcription start sites, whereas specific binding sites diverged dramatically from the consensus, were coupled with a site for a cooperative binding partner, and were found further from transcription start sites. The specific and redundant DNA binding modes illustrate the regulation of transcription factor specificity in vivo and suggest two distinct roles for members of the ETS transcription factor family. Keywords: ChIP-chip Chromatin IP from uninduced asynchronous Jurkat T cells, or HT29 colon cells using antibodies to three ETS transcription factors (ETS1, ELF1, and GABPa) or the transcription factors RUNX1 or E2F4. IP and whole input DNAs are amplified (WGA2 kit sigma) and labeled and compared by promoter microarrays (Agilent). Each experiment requires 2 microarrays to cover the genome. Proximal promoter arrays assay 1kb surrounding transcription start sites, extended promoter arrays assay 7kb surrounding transcription start sites. Each microarray is performed as two biological replicates with the exception of ETS1 in HT29 proximal promoter array which were done once, and ETS1 in Jurkat proximal promoter array which was done three times.
Project description:To elucidate how genomic sequences build transcriptional control networks we need to understand the connection between DNA sequence and transcription factor binding and function. Binding predictions based solely on consensus predictions are limited because a single factor can use degenerate sequence motifs and related transcription factors often prefer identical sequences. The ETS family transcription factor, ETS1, exemplifies these challenges. Unexpected, redundant occupancy of ETS1 and other ETS proteins is observed at promoters of housekeeping genes in T cells due to common sequence preferences and the presence of strong consensus motifs. However, ETS1 exhibits a specific function in T cell activation, thus unique transcriptional targets are predicted. To uncover the sequence motifs that mediate specific functions of ETS1, chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) identified both promoter and enhancer binding events in Jurkat T cells. A comparison with DNase I sensitivity both validated the dataset and improved accuracy. Redundant occupancy of ETS1 with the ETS protein GABPA occurred primarily in promoters of housekeeping genes, whereas ETS1 specific occupancy occurred in the enhancers of T-cell specific genes. Two routes to ETS1 specificity were identified: an intrinsic preference of ETS1 for a variant of the ETS family consensus sequence and the presence of a composite sequence that can support cooperative binding with a RUNX transcription factor. Genome-wide occupancy of RUNX factors corroborated the importance of this partnership. Furthermore, genome-wide occupancy of co-activator CBP indicated tight co-localization with ETS1 at specific enhancers, but not redundant promoters. The distinct sequences associated with redundant versus specific ETS1 occupancy were predictive of promoter or enhancer location and the ontology of nearby genes. These findings demonstrate that diversity of binding motifs may enable variable transcription factor function at different genomic sites. Each ChIP sample was pooled from three independent immunoprecipitation experiments
Project description:Introgressed variants from other species can be an important source of genetic variation because they may arise rapidly, can include multiple mutations on a single haplotype, and have often been pretested by selection in the species of origin. Although introgressed alleles are generally deleterious, several studies have reported introgression as the source of adaptive alleles-including the rodenticide-resistant variant of Vkorc1 that introgressed from Mus spretus into European populations of Mus musculus domesticus. Here, we conducted bidirectional genome scans to characterize introgressed regions into one wild population of M. spretus from Spain and three wild populations of M. m. domesticus from France, Germany, and Iran. Despite the fact that these species show considerable intrinsic postzygotic reproductive isolation, introgression was observed in all individuals, including in the M. musculus reference genome (GRCm38). Mus spretus individuals had a greater proportion of introgression compared with M. m. domesticus, and within M. m. domesticus, the proportion of introgression decreased with geographic distance from the area of sympatry. Introgression was observed on all autosomes for both species, but not on the X-chromosome in M. m. domesticus, consistent with known X-linked hybrid sterility and inviability genes that have been mapped to the M. spretus X-chromosome. Tract lengths were generally short with a few outliers of up to 2.7 Mb. Interestingly, the longest introgressed tracts were in olfactory receptor regions, and introgressed tracts were significantly enriched for olfactory receptor genes in both species, suggesting that introgression may be a source of functional novelty even between species with high barriers to gene flow.
Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility.