Histone Posttranslational Modification ChIP-chip from Oikopleura Dioica Gonads, 2014

In multicellular organisms, histone posttranslational modifications plays roles in transitions associated with the cell cycle, development, germline specification, gametogenesis and inheritance. Here adaptations of an epigenome in tunicates were defines, sister group to vertebrates, to strong secondary genome compaction in the larvacean, Oikopleura dioica, that has separate sexes and male heterogamy. They profiled 19 histone post-translational modifications in homogeneous ovary and testis samples and used the combinatorics of these marks to define chromatin states. And supplemented these with profiles of RNA polymerase II, CTCF and p300 binding sites and integrated existing annotation and expression data to characterize distinct epigenomic landscapes of the ovary and testis. All data can be made available at the GEO under accession number GSE78915.

在多细胞生物中，组蛋白翻译后修饰（histone posttranslational modifications）参与调控细胞周期、发育、生殖系特化、配子发生以及遗传相关的生命进程。本研究针对作为脊椎动物姊妹群的尾索动物（tunicates）的表观基因组（epigenome）适应性进行了界定，其中幼形纲动物住囊虫（Oikopleura dioica）发生了强烈的次生基因组压缩，该物种为雌雄异体且具雄配子异型（male heterogamy）特性。研究人员在均一化的卵巢与睾丸样本中，对19种组蛋白翻译后修饰进行了谱学分析，并借助这些修饰的组合特征定义了染色质状态。此外，研究人员还补充了RNA聚合酶II（RNA polymerase II）、CCCTC结合因子（CTCF）与p300的结合位点谱，并整合现有注释数据与表达谱数据，以刻画卵巢与睾丸各自独特的表观基因组图谱。所有数据均可通过登录号GSE78915在基因表达综合数据库（GEO）中获取。