Conversion of MyoD to a neurogenic factor: binding site specificity determines lineage [RNA-seq]

MyoD and NeuroD2 are master regulators of myogenesis and neurogenesis and bind to a "shared" E-box sequence (CAGCTG) and a "private" sequence (CAGGTG or CAGATG, respectively). To determine whether private-site recognition is sufficient to confer lineage-specification, we generated a MyoD-mutant with the DNA binding specificity of NeuroD2. Our results demonstrate that redirecting MyoD binding from MyoD-private sites to NeuroD2-private sites, despite preserved binding to the MyoD/NeuroD2-shared sites, is sufficient to change MyoD from a master regulator of myogenesis to a master regulator of neurogenesis. RNA-seq profiling of mouse P19 cells transfected with MyoD, NeuroD2 and chimera mutants. The chimeric mutants are MyoD with the bHLH domain replaced with the NeuroD2 bHLH domain.