Identification of HSF1 Target Genes Involved in Thermal Stress in the Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas by ChIP-seq

• Published in: Marine biotechnology (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 167 - 179
• Main Authors: Liu, Youli, Zhu, Qihui, Li, Li, Wang, Wei, Zhang, Guofan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Binding sites; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Breeding; Chromatin; Crassostrea gigas; DNA; Engineering; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Gene expression; Gene regulation; Genes; Heat shock; Heat shock factors; Heat shock proteins; HSF1 protein; Hsp40 protein; Hsp70 protein; Immunoprecipitation; Intertidal environment; Intertidal zone; Life Sciences; Marine molluscs; Microbiology; Nucleotide sequence; Original Article; Oysters; PCR; Physical growth; Signal transduction; Target recognition; Temperature tolerance; Thermal resistance; Thermal stress; Transcription; Zoology; Thermal stress; ChIP-seq; Regulatory relationship; HSF1 binding site; HSP; Crassostrea gigas
• ISSN: 1436-2228; 1436-2236
• DOI: 10.1007/s10126-019-09942-6

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas , a commercially important species inhabiting the intertidal zone, facing enormous temperature fluctuations. Therefore, it is important to identify candidate genes and key regulatory relationships associated with thermal tolerance, which can aid the molecular breeding of oysters. Heat shock transcription factor 1 ( HSF1 ) plays an important role in the thermal stress resistance. However, the regulatory relationship between the expansion of heat shock protein (HSP) HSP 70 and HSF1 is not yet clear in C. gigas . In this study, we analyzed genes regulated by HSF1 in response to heat shock by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq), determined the expression patterns of target genes by qRT-PCR, and validated the regulatory relationship between one HSP70 and HSF1. We found 916 peaks corresponding to HSF1 binding sites, and these peaks were annotated to the nearest genes. In Gene Ontology analysis, HSF1 target genes were related to signal transduction, energy production, and response to biotic stimulus. Four HSP70 genes, two HSP40 genes, and one small HSP gene exhibited binding to HSF1. One HSP70 with a binding site in the promoter region was validated to be regulated by HSF1 under heat shock. These results provide a basis for future studies aimed at determining the mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance and provide insights into gene regulation in the Pacific oyster.