Time-course chromatin accessibility in regeneration [ATAC-seq]

The ability to regenerate or recover from injuries varies greatly not only between species but also between tissues and organs or developmental stages of the same species. The mechanisms behind these different regenerative capabilities are ultimately dependent on the control of genome activity, determined by a complex interplay of regulatory elements functioning at the level of chromatin. Resetting of gene expression patterns during injury responses is, thus, shaped by the coordinated action of genomic regions (enhancers, silencers) that integrate the activity of multiple sequence-specific DNA binding proteins (transcription factors and cofactors). Using  genome- wide approaches to interrogate chromatin function here we identify the regulatory elements governing tissue recovery in Drosophila wing imaginal discs, which show a high regenerative capacity after genetically induced cell death. Our findings point to a global co-regulation of gene expression and provide evidence for Damage Responding Regulatory Elements (DRRE), some of which are novel whereas others are also used in other tissues or developmental stages.