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Intron dynamics reveal principles of gene regulation during the maternal-to-zygotic transition

ABSTRACT: The maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is a conserved embryonic process in animals where developmental control shifts from the maternal to zygotic genome. A key step in this transition is zygotic transcription, and deciphering the MZT requires classifying newly transcribed genes. However, due to current technological limitations, this starting point remains a challenge for studying many species. Here we present an alternative approach that characterizes transcriptome changes based solely on RNA-seq data. By combining intron-mapping reads and transcript-level quantification, we characterized transcriptome dynamics during the Drosophila melanogaster MZT. Our approach provides an accessible platform to investigate transcriptome dynamics that can be applied to the MZT in non-model organisms. In addition to classifying zygotically transcribed genes, our analysis revealed that over 300 genes express different maternal and zygotic transcript isoforms due to alternative splicing, polyadenylation, and promoter usage. The vast majority of these zygotic isoforms have the potential to be subject to different regulatory control, and over two-thirds encode different proteins. Thus, our analysis reveals an additional layer of regulation during the MZT, where new zygotic transcripts can generate additional proteome diversity.

ORGANISM(S): Drosophila melanogaster

PROVIDER: GSE183975 | GEO | 2023/02/13

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Background: During the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) vast changes in the embryonic transcriptome are produced by a combination of two processes: elimination of maternally provided mRNAs and synthesis of new transcripts from the zygotic genome. Previous genome-wide analyses of the MZT have been restricted to whole embryos. Here we report the first such analysis for primordial germ cells (PGCs), the progenitors of the germ-line stem cells. Results: We purified PGCs from Drosophila embryos, defined their proteome and transcriptome, and assessed the content, scale and dynamics of their MZT. Transcripts encoding proteins that implement particular types of biological functions group into nine distinct expression profiles, reflecting coordinate control at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. mRNAs encoding germ-plasm components and cell-cell signaling molecules are rapidly degraded while new transcription produces mRNAs encoding the core transcriptional and protein synthetic machineries. The RNA-binding protein, Smaug, is essential for the PGC MZT, clearing transcripts encoding proteins that regulate stem cell behavior, transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes. Computational analyses suggest that Smaug and AU-rich element binding-proteins function independently to control transcript elimination. Conclusion: The scale of the MZT is similar in the soma and PGCs. However, the timing and content of their MZTs differ, reflecting the distinct developmental imperatives of these cell types. The PGC MZT is delayed relative to that in the soma, likely because relief of PGC-specific transcriptional silencing is required for zygotic genome activation as well as for efficient maternal transcript clearance. There are 26 samples in total, including 1-to-3 hour, 3-to-5 hour, 5-to-7 hour PGCs in wild type and smaug mutant flies and 1-to-3 hour somatic cells in wild type flies. Except for the 1-to-3 hour and 3-to-5 hour smaug mutant PGCs which have three replicates, all the other samples have four replicates.

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Intron dynamics reveal principles of gene regulation during the maternal-to-zygotic transition

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