Role of Enhancers in Maize Leaf Development Gene Regulatory Networks (2019-2021)

2019-01-01 Systems Biology
This picture represent a regulatory network transcription factors in enhancers to gene expression level. A complete regulatory network is represented corresponding to the seedlings from Oka et al., Genome Biology, 2017. Seedling gene regulatory network highlighting tissue-specific regulatory modules.

Enhancers play a major role in regulating tissue-specific gene expression in higher eukaryotes, including angiosperms. While molecular characterization of enhancers has improved over the past years, identifying their target genes at the genome-wide scale remains challenging. Here, we integrate genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic data to decipher the tissue-specific gene regulatory network controlled by enhancers at two different stages of maize leaf development. Using a systems biology approach, we identify transcription factor families regulating gene tissue-specific expression in husk and seedling leaves, and we characterize the enhancers that are likely to be involved. We show that a large part of maize enhancers are derived from transposable elements, which can provide novel transcription factor binding sites crucial to the regulation of tissue-specific biological functions.

Fundings

This project was funded by the French investment for the future AMAIZING AMAIZING program.

Systems Biology Gene Regulatory Networks
Maud Fagny
Maud Fagny
Researcher

I aim at understanding plants response to environment at the molecular level.

Identification of key tissue-specific, biological processes by integrating enhancer information in maize gene regulatory networks

Enhancers are key players in the spatio-temporal coordination of gene expression during numerous crucial processes, including tissue …
Maud Fagny, Marieke Lydia Kuijjer, Maike Stam, Johann Joets, Olivier Turc, Julien Roziere, Stéphanie Pateyron, Anthony Venon, Clémentine Vitte
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