Integration of 3D genome architecture and local chromatin features uncovers enhancers underlying craniofacial-specific cartilage defects
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ABSTRACT: Aberrations in tissue-specific enhancers underlie many developmental defects. Disrupting a distal noncoding region of the human SOX9 gene causes the Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) characterized by the undersized lower jaw. Such a craniofacial-specific defect has been previously linked to enhancers transiently active in cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs). We demonstrate the PRS region also strongly regulates Sox9 in CNCC-derived Meckel's cartilage (MC), but not in limb cartilages. The MC-specific regulatory function of the PRS region cannot be attributed to the CNCC enhancers that have been inactivated in cartilages, but correlates with its MC-specific interactions with the Sox9 gene. By integrating the enhancer signatures and chromatin topology, we uncovered ~20,000 enhancers that function differentially between MC and limb cartilages and demonstrated their association with human diseases. Our findings highlight the importance of lineage-dependent chromatin topology in instructing enhancer usage and provide critical insights for interpreting the genetic basis of craniofacial pathologies.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE185255 | GEO | 2023/01/04
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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