Dynamics of epigenetic regulation at the single-cell level

Lacramioara Bintu, John Yong, Yaron E. Antebi, Kayla McCue, Yasuhiro Kazuki, Narumi Uno, Mitsuo Oshimura, Michael B. Elowitz

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Chromatin regulators play a major role in establishing and maintaining gene expression states. Yet how they control gene expression in single cells, quantitatively and over time, remains unclear. We used time-lapse microscopy to analyze the dynamic effects of four silencers associated with diverse modifications: DNA methylation, histone deacetylation, and histone methylation. For all regulators, silencing and reactivation occurred in all-or-none events, enabling the regulators to modulate the fraction of cells silenced rather than the amount of gene expression. These dynamics could be described by a three-state model involving stochastic transitions between active, reversibly silent, and irreversibly silent states. Through their individual transition rates, these regulators operate over different time scales and generate distinct types of epigenetic memory. Our results provide a framework for understanding and engineering mammalian chromatin regulation and epigenetic memory.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)720-724
Number of pages5
JournalScience
Volume351
Issue number6274
DOIs
StatePublished - 12 Feb 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Dynamics of epigenetic regulation at the single-cell level'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this