Variability of Gene Expression Identifies Transcriptional Regulators of Early Human Embryonic Development

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In order to function properly, cells express specific sets of genes that are regulated via complex transcriptional programs. During early stages of development, when an embryo consists of only a handful of cells, it is vital that these cells work together so that the embryo can develop into a healthy baby. Single cell studies allow us to understand how each cell contributes to ensuring proper regulation of the embryo, as well as identify the critical genes whose expression is important for development. While we understand that regulation of a gene occurs through the timing of when it is expressed and also the quantity of its expression, more recently we have come to recognize that the variability of a gene’s expression across single cells may also contribute to the viability of the organism. In this study, we analyzed the gene expression variability of human embryos at different developmental stages. We discovered distinctive patterns of variability across cells in the embryo; some genes had extremely stable expression, and others were variable but with increased homogeneity in expression at a particular developmental stage. We validated one of these stage-specific markers and found that it played a role in the maintenance of pluripotency of human pluripotent stem cells. Overall, these results can help unlock additional clues into understanding how embryonic development is regulated in humans.

Vyšlo v časopise: Variability of Gene Expression Identifies Transcriptional Regulators of Early Human Embryonic Development. PLoS Genet 11(8): e32767. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1005428
Kategorie: Research Article
prolekare.web.journal.doi_sk: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1005428

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