Data from: Spatially coordinated dynamic gene transcription in living pituitary tissue

Transcription at individual genes in single cells is often pulsatile and stochastic. A key question emerges regarding how this behaviour contributes to tissue phenotype, but it has been a challenge to quantitatively analyse this in living cells over time, as opposed to studying snap-shots of gene expression state. We have used imaging of reporter gene expression to track transcription in living pituitary tissue. We integrated live-cell imaging data with statistical modelling for quantitative real-time estimation of the timing of switching between transcriptional states across a whole tissue. Multiple levels of transcription rate were identified, indicating that gene expression is not a simple binary ‘on-off’ process. Immature tissue displayed shorter durations of high-expressing states than the adult. In adult pituitary tissue, direct cell contacts involving gap junctions allowed local spatial coordination of prolactin gene expression. Our findings identify how heterogeneous transcriptional dynamics of single cells may contribute to overall tissue behaviour.

单细胞内单个基因的转录过程通常呈脉冲式且具有随机性。当前存在一个核心科学问题：这类转录行为如何影响组织表型，但相较于仅研究基因表达状态的静态快照，长期在活细胞中对其进行定量分析始终是一项挑战。本研究借助报告基因成像技术，对活体垂体组织中的转录过程进行追踪。我们将活细胞成像数据与统计建模相结合，实现了全组织范围内转录状态切换时序的定量实时估算。研究鉴定出转录速率存在多个层级，这表明基因表达并非简单的二元“开-关”过程。与成年垂体组织相比，未成熟组织的高表达状态持续时长更短。在成年垂体组织中，间隙连接介导的细胞直接接触可实现催乳素基因表达的局部空间协同调控。本研究揭示了单细胞转录动态的异质性如何参与调控组织的整体功能表现。