CLAMP and Zelda function together as pioneer transcription factors to promote Drosophila zygotic genome activation [ChIP-Seq]
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: The pioneer transcription factor Zelda (ZLD) increases the accessibility of chromatin to promote the essential process of zygotic genome activation (ZGA) in the Drosophila early embryo. However, many genomic loci remain accessible in the absence of ZLD and are enriched for GA-rich DNA binding motifs. Therefore, we hypothesized that other pioneer TFs that function with ZLD have not yet been identified, especially those that bind to GA-rich motifs. CLAMP (Chromatin-linked adaptor for Male-specific lethal MSL proteins) is a GA-rich motif binding TF that is essential for early embryonic development. Here, we identify for the first time that CLAMP is a pioneer TF which interacts directly with nucleosomes, regulates zygotic genome activation, promotes chromatin accessibility, and facilitates the binding of ZLD to promoters. When ZLD is bound at a locus but does not regulate chromatin accessibility, CLAMP can often function redundantly to open the chromatin. Because ZGA is an essential process across metazoans, it is key to evolve redundant pioneer TFs to protect organisms from lethality that would be caused by loss of a single non-redundant factor.
Project description:The pioneer transcription factor Zelda (ZLD) increases the accessibility of chromatin to promote the essential process of zygotic genome activation (ZGA) in the Drosophila early embryo. However, many genomic loci remain accessible in the absence of ZLD and are enriched for GA-rich DNA binding motifs. Therefore, we hypothesized that other pioneer TFs that function with ZLD have not yet been identified, especially those that bind to GA-rich motifs. CLAMP (Chromatin-linked adaptor for Male-specific lethal MSL proteins) is a GA-rich motif binding TF that is essential for early embryonic development. Here, we identify for the first time that CLAMP is a pioneer TF which interacts directly with nucleosomes, regulates zygotic genome activation, promotes chromatin accessibility, and facilitates the binding of ZLD to promoters. When ZLD is bound at a locus but does not regulate chromatin accessibility, CLAMP can often function redundantly to open the chromatin. Because ZGA is an essential process across metazoans, it is key to evolve redundant pioneer TFs to protect organisms from lethality that would be caused by loss of a single non-redundant factor.
Project description:Pioneer factors such as Zelda (Zld) help initiate zygotic transcription in Drosophila early embryos, but whether other factors support this dynamic process is unclear. Odd-paired (Opa), a zinc-finger transcription factor expressed at cellularization, controls the transition of genes from pair-rule to segmental patterns along the anterior-posterior axis. Finding that Opa also regulates expression through enhancer sog_Distal along the dorso-ventral axis, we hypothesized Opa’s role is more general. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq) confirmed its in vivo binding to sog_Distal but also identified widespread binding throughout the genome, comparable to Zld. Furthermore, chromatin assays (ATAC-seq) demonstrate that Opa, like Zld, influences chromatin accessibility genome-wide at cellularization, suggesting both are pioneer factors with common as well as distinct targets. Lastly, embryos lacking opa exhibit widespread, late patterning defects spanning both axes. Collectively, these data suggest Opa is a general timing factor and likely late-acting pioneer factor that drives a secondary wave of zygotic gene expression contributor: Theodora Koromila (ATAC-seq-RNA-seq) contributor: Fan Gao (Bioinformatic analysis) contributor: Angelike Stathopoulos (PI) contributor: Peng He (Bioinformatic analysis)
Project description:The conserved histone locus body (HLB) assembles prior to zygotic gene activation early during development and concentrates factors into a nuclear domain of coordinated histone gene regulation. Although HLBs form specifically at replication-dependent histone loci, the cis and trans factors that target HLB components to histone genes remained unknown. Here we report that conserved GA repeat cis elements within the bidirectional histone3-histone4 promoter direct HLB formation in Drosophila In addition, the CLAMP (chromatin-linked adaptor for male-specific lethal [MSL] proteins) zinc finger protein binds these GA repeat motifs, increases chromatin accessibility, enhances histone gene transcription, and promotes HLB formation. We demonstrated previously that CLAMP also promotes the formation of another domain of coordinated gene regulation: the dosage-compensated male X chromosome. Therefore, CLAMP binding to GA repeat motifs promotes the formation of two distinct domains of coordinated gene activation located at different places in the genome.
Project description:We used FAIRE-seq to perform genome-wide profiling of open chromatin in 2-3 hour Drosophila embryos lacking maternal ZLD (zldM-) and in paired control embryos (yw). We demonstrate that ZLD is required to establish or maintain specific regions of open chromatin. Using single embryo RNA-seq data (from stage 5 yw and zldM- embryos) we show that loci that lose accessibility in zldM- embryos require ZLD for robust expression of associated genes. By comparing our FAIRE peaks to publicly available ChIP data (Xu et al. 2014) we demonstrate that ZLD is required for binding of the transcription factor Bicoid. To our surprise, not all ZLD-bound loci are less accessible in the mutant, suggesting that these regions rely on additional factors for open chromatin. These constitutively accessible ZLD-bound sites are enriched for the GAGA factor (GAF) binding motif, and we therefore propose that GAF may provide this additional function. We conclude that ZLD functions like a pioneer factor to define the cis-regulatory regions that drive gene expression during the MZT. Open chromatin profiling of 2-3 hour Drosophila embryos: embryos lacking maternal ZLD (zldM-, 3 replicates) and paired control embryos (yw, 2 replicates); Genomic DNA Inputs. Sequencing performed on Illumina HiSeq 2000.
Project description:The conserved histone locus body (HLB) assembles prior to zygotic gene activation early during development and concentrates factors into a nuclear domain of coordinated histone gene regulation. Although HLBs form specifically at replication dependent histone loci, the cis and trans factors that target HLB components to histone genes remained unknown. Here we report that conserved GA-repeat cis elements within the bidirectional histone3-histone4 promoter direct HLB formation in Drosophila. In addition, the CLAMP zinc-finger protein binds these GA-repeat motifs, increases chromatin accessibility, enhances histone gene transcription, and promotes HLB formation. We previously demonstrated that CLAMP also promotes the formation of another domain of coordinated gene regulation: the dosage-compensated male X-chromosome. Therefore, CLAMP binding to GA-repeat motifs promotes the formation of two distinct domains of coordinated gene activation located at different places in the genome.
Project description:Early embryos undergo profound changes in their genomic architecture to establish the totipotent state, enabling pioneer factors to access chromatin and drive zygotic genome activation (ZGA). However, the mechanisms by which the totipotent state is established and properly interpreted by pioneer factors to allow orderly ZGA remain unknown. Here, we identify the H3.3-specific chaperone HIRA as a factor involving establishing totipotent-state chromatin in Drosophila early embryos. Through cophase separation with HIRA, the pioneer factor GAGA factor (GAF) efficiently binds to H3.3-marked nucleosomes to activate major-wave zygotic genes. Importantly, dPCIF1, a chromatin-associated protein, antagonized the GAF-HIRA interaction by competitively binding to HIRA, thereby restricting GAF on earlier chromatin and avoiding premature ZGA. Hence, the coordinated action of HIRA and dPCIF1 ensures sequential ZGA from the minor to major wave in early embryos. This study provides insights into understanding how a totipotent state is established and properly controlled during ZGA.
Project description:Early embryos undergo profound changes in their genomic architecture to establish the totipotent state, enabling pioneer factors to access chromatin and drive zygotic genome activation (ZGA). However, the mechanisms by which the totipotent state is established and properly interpreted by pioneer factors to allow orderly ZGA remain unknown. Here, we identify the H3.3-specific chaperone HIRA as a critical factor involving establishing totipotent-state chromatin in Drosophila early embryos. Through co-phase separation with HIRA, the pioneer factor GAGA factor (GAF) efficiently binds to H3.3-marked nucleosomes to activate major-wave zygotic genes. Importantly, dPCIF1, a chromatin-associated protein, antagonized the GAF–HIRA interaction by competitively binding to HIRA, thereby restricting GAF on earlier chromatin and avoiding premature ZGA. Hence, the coordinated action of HIRA and dPCIF1 ensures sequential ZGA from the minor to major wave in early embryos. This study provides insights into understanding how a totipotent state is established and properly controlled during ZGA.
Project description:Early embryos undergo profound changes in their genomic architecture to establish the totipotent state, enabling pioneer factors to access chromatin and drive zygotic genome activation (ZGA). However, the mechanisms by which the totipotent state is established and properly interpreted by pioneer factors to allow orderly ZGA remain unknown. Here, we identify the H3.3-specific chaperone HIRA as a critical factor involving establishing totipotent-state chromatin in Drosophila early embryos. Through co-phase separation with HIRA, the pioneer factor GAGA factor (GAF) efficiently binds to H3.3-marked nucleosomes to activate major-wave zygotic genes. Importantly, dPCIF1, a chromatin-associated protein, antagonized the GAF–HIRA interaction by competitively binding to HIRA, thereby restricting GAF on earlier chromatin and avoiding premature ZGA. Hence, the coordinated action of HIRA and dPCIF1 ensures sequential ZGA from the minor to major wave in early embryos. This study provides insights into understanding how a totipotent state is established and properly controlled during ZGA.
Project description:Early embryos undergo profound changes in their genomic architecture to establish the totipotent state, enabling pioneer factors to access chromatin and drive zygotic genome activation (ZGA). However, the mechanisms by which the totipotent state is established and properly interpreted by pioneer factors to allow orderly ZGA remain unknown. Here, we identify the H3.3-specific chaperone HIRA as a critical factor involving establishing totipotent-state chromatin in Drosophila early embryos. Through co-phase separation with HIRA, the pioneer factor GAGA factor (GAF) efficiently binds to H3.3-marked nucleosomes to activate major-wave zygotic genes. Importantly, dPCIF1, a chromatin-associated protein, antagonized the GAF–HIRA interaction by competitively binding to HIRA, thereby restricting GAF on earlier chromatin and avoiding premature ZGA. Hence, the coordinated action of HIRA and dPCIF1 ensures sequential ZGA from the minor to major wave in early embryos. This study provides insights into understanding how a totipotent state is established and properly controlled during ZGA.
Project description:Early embryos undergo profound changes in their genomic architecture to establish the totipotent state, enabling pioneer factors to access chromatin and drive zygotic genome activation (ZGA). However, the mechanisms by which the totipotent state is established and properly interpreted by pioneer factors to allow orderly ZGA remain unknown. Here, we identify the H3.3-specific chaperone HIRA as a critical factor involving establishing totipotent-state chromatin in Drosophila early embryos. Through co-phase separation with HIRA, the pioneer factor GAGA factor (GAF) efficiently binds to H3.3-marked nucleosomes to activate major-wave zygotic genes. Importantly, dPCIF1, a chromatin-associated protein, antagonized the GAF–HIRA interaction by competitively binding to HIRA, thereby restricting GAF on earlier chromatin and avoiding premature ZGA. Hence, the coordinated action of HIRA and dPCIF1 ensures sequential ZGA from the minor to major wave in early embryos. This study provides insights into understanding how a totipotent state is established and properly controlled during ZGA.