Genomic Prevalence of Heterochromatic H3K9me2 and Transcription Do Not Discriminate Pluripotent from Terminally Differentiated Cells

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002090
• Publication Date: 2011-06-03T11:48:30Z
• Authors: Florian Lienert; Fabio Mohn; Vijay K. Tiwari; Tuncay Baubec; Tim C. Roloff; Dimos Gaidatzis; Michael B. Stadler; Dirk Schübeler
• Keywords: Reprogramming

Cellular differentiation entails reprogramming of the transcriptome from a pluripotent to unipotent fate. This process was suggested coincide with global increase repressive heterochromatin, which results in reduction transcriptional plasticity and potential. Here we report dynamics an abundant heterochromatic histone modification, dimethylation H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me2), during neuronal embryonic stem cells. In contrast prevailing model, find H3K9me2 occupy over 50% chromosomal regions already Marked are most genomic that devoid transcription subgroup modifications. Importantly, no occurs differentiation, but discrete local changes particularly genic can be detected. Mirroring cell fate change, many genes show altered expression upon differentiation. Quantitative sequencing transcripts demonstrates however total number active is equal between cells several tested differentiated types. Together, these findings reveal high prevalence mark challenge model low abundance epigenetic repression resulting basal level suggests cellular rather than activity.