Understanding the role of promoter priming prior to cell fate specification in zebrafish

Abstract

Understanding the regulation of gene expression in the context of development is important as it helps in comprehending the processes by which cells differentiate and develop into specific tissues and organs. Cis-regulatory regions play an important role in regulating gene expression by altering the efficiency of transcription machinery and the stability of transcripts. Promoter priming is a regulatory mechanism by which promoter regions of genes are pre-occupied with H3K4me3 modifications so that they are able to maintain proper temporal regulated expression of specific genes. The mechanism and the functional significance of this mark in regulating gene expression are still not known, and our study aims to understand this. The presence of specific histone modifications was tried to be validated using ChIP-qPCR. Their functional significance was explored in the context of cell fate specification. Drug based perturbation study was carried out to understand the significance of priming using MM-102 drug. The effect of the drug on various stages and its implications on gene expression, and thereby the development of the embryo, was explored using western blot and q-PCR. The study makes an attempt to understand the role of priming marks in regulating the precise expression of genes at respective time points of development in zebrafish.