Project description:The pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) relies on appropriate responsiveness to developmental cues. Promoter-proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) has been suggested to play a role in keeping genes poised for future activation. To identify the role of Pol II pausing in regulating ESC pluripotency, we have generated mouse ESCs carrying a mutation in the pause-inducing factor SPT5. Consistent with previous in vitro studies showing the pausing deficiency of this mutant SPT5, our genomic analysis reveals genome-wide reduction of paused Pol II in mutant mESCs. Furthermore, we find that genes differentially regulated by mutant SPT5 correlates with distinct chromatin states. Functionally, this pausing-deficient SPT5 disrupts ESC differentiation without affecting self-renewal. Thus, our study uncovers an important role of Pol II pausing in regulating ESC differentiation and also suggests that Pol II pausing can both positively and negatively influence transcription depending on the local chromatin environment.
Project description:The pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) relies on appropriate responsiveness to developmental cues. Promoter-proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) has been suggested to play a role in keeping genes poised for future activation. To identify the role of Pol II pausing in regulating ESC pluripotency, we have generated mouse ESCs carrying a mutation in the pause-inducing factor SPT5. Consistent with previous in vitro studies showing the pausing deficiency of this mutant SPT5, our genomic analysis reveals genome-wide reduction of paused Pol II in mutant mESCs. Furthermore, we find that genes differentially regulated by mutant SPT5 correlates with distinct chromatin states. Functionally, this pausing-deficient SPT5 disrupts ESC differentiation without affecting self-renewal. Thus, our study uncovers an important role of Pol II pausing in regulating ESC differentiation and also suggests that Pol II pausing can both positively and negatively influence transcription depending on the local chromatin environment.
Project description:The NELF complex is a metazoan-specific factor essential for establishing transcription pausing. Although NELF has been implicated in cell fate regulation, the cellular regulation of NELF and its intrinsic role in specific lineage differentiation remains largely unknown. Using mammalian hematopoietic differentiation as a model system, here we identified a dynamic change of NELF-mediated transcription pausing as a novel mechanism regulating hematopoietic differentiation. We found a sharp decrease of NELF protein abundance during granulocytic differentiation with a consequent genome-wide reduction of transcription pausing. This loss of pausing coincides with activation of granulocyte-affiliated genes and diminished expression of progenitor markers. Functional studies revealed that sustained expression of NELF inhibits granulocytic differentiation, whereas NELF depletion in progenitor cells leads to premature differentiation towards the granulocytic lineage. Our results thus uncover a previously unrecognized regulation of transcription pausing by modulating NELF protein abundance to control cellular differentiation.
Project description:During in vitro differentiation, pluripotent stem cells undergo extensive remodeling of their gene expression profiles. While studied extensively at the transcriptome level, much less is known about protein dynamics, which might differ significantly from their mRNA counterparts. Here, we present deep proteome-wide measurements of protein levels during the differentiation of embryonic stem cells.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE20529: Promoter proximal pausing and its regulation by c-Myc in embryonic stem cells: ChIP-chip GSE20530: Promoter proximal pausing and its regulation by c-Myc in embryonic stem cells: ChIP-Seq Refer to individual Series
Project description:The Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase (NuRD) complex plays an important role in gene expression regulation, stem cell self-renewal, and lineage commitment. Yet little is known about the dynamics of NuRD during cellular differentiation. Here, we study these dynamics using genome-wide profiling and quantitative interaction proteomics in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and neural progenitor cells (NPCs). The genomic targets of NuRD are highly dynamic during differentiation, with most binding occurring at cell-type specific promoters and enhancers. We identify ZFP296 as a novel, ESC-specific NuRD interactor that also interacts with the SIN3A complex. ChIP-sequencing in Zfp296 knockout (KO) ESCs reveals decreased NuRD binding both genome-wide and at ZFP296 binding sites, although this has little effect on the transcriptome. Nevertheless, Zfp296 KO ESCs exhibit delayed induction of lineage-specific markers upon differentiation to embryoid bodies. In summary, we identify an ESC-specific NuRD interacting protein which regulates genome-wide NuRD binding and cellular differentiation.