A Common Set of DNA Regulatory Elements Shapes Drosophila Appendages

• Published in: Developmental cell Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 306 - 318
• Main Authors: McKay, Daniel J., Lieb, Jason D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 11.11.2013
• Subjects: Animals; Binding Sites; Chromatin - genetics; Drosophila; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila - growth & development; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genome; Homeodomain Proteins - genetics; Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid - genetics; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 1534-5807; 1878-1551
• DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.10.009

Animals have body parts made of similar cell types located at different axial positions, such as limbs. The identity and distinct morphology of each structure is often specified by the activity of different “master regulator” transcription factors. Although similarities in gene expression have been observed between body parts made of similar cell types, how regulatory information in the genome is differentially utilized to create morphologically diverse structures in development is not known. Here, we use genome-wide open chromatin profiling to show that among the Drosophila appendages, the same DNA regulatory modules are accessible throughout the genome at a given stage of development, except at the loci encoding the master regulators themselves. In addition, open chromatin profiles change over developmental time, and these changes are coordinated between different appendages. We propose that master regulators create morphologically distinct structures by differentially influencing the function of the same set of DNA regulatory modules. [Display omitted] •Open chromatin accurately predicts enhancer activity in developing animals•Drosophila appendages use the same set of enhancers at a given developmental stage•Appendage open chromatin profiles change coordinately over developmental time•Master regulators differentially influence the same enhancers among appendages Using genome-wide open chromatin profiling in Drosophila, McKay and Lieb examine how gene regulatory information is utilized to create morphological diversity between body parts. They show that transcription factors create distinction among the development of different appendages by differentially regulating the activity of the same set of accessible enhancers.