UNDERSTANDING THE INTERPLAY OF ENHANCERS, CHROMATIN PRIMING ELEMENTS AND SIGNALS REGULATING DYNAMIC GENE EXPRESSION IN DEVELOPMENT

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The formation of a fully functional organism during embryonic development is primarily coordinated and controlled by extra-cellular signalling modulators and regulators of gene expression. A fascinating aspect of embryonic development is that the timing of how different cells form is always the same. The reason for this synchrony is that all information for our body plan is encoded in our DNA, which contains instructions on when our genes should be expressed and when they should be silent. Moreover, developing cells communicate via signals to synchronize their development and activate genes to produce proteins, called transcription factors which can "read" the genetic code. These factors work together with many other proteins to ensure that genes are expressed in the right cell and at the right time. However, our DNA is packaged into a compact structure called chromatin which on the one hand ensures that it fits into the nucleus, but on the other hand restricts transcription factor access. How chromatin structure, transcription factors and signals work together to properly regulate gene expression is unclear. To answer this question, we will use an in vitro differentiation system that mimics normal development in vitro. We will collect data on all genes, and we will use computational biology methods to answer the fundamental question of how the balance and timing of gene expression are controlled in development.