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Ubiquitously expressed genes participate in cell‐specific functions via alternative promoter usage
Author(s) -
Feng Guihai,
Tong Man,
Xia Baolong,
Luo GuanZheng,
Wang Meng,
Xie Dongfang,
Wan Haifeng,
Zhang Ying,
Zhou Qi,
Wang XiuJie
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.15252/embr.201541476
Subject(s) - chinese academy of sciences , beijing , china , biology , developmental biology , genetics , molecular genetics , developmental genetics , gene , political science , regulation of gene expression , law
How do different cell types acquire their specific identities and functions is a fundamental question of biology. Previously significant efforts have been devoted to search for cell‐type‐specifically expressed genes, especially transcription factors, yet how do ubiquitously expressed genes participate in the formation or maintenance of cell‐type‐specific features remains largely unknown. Here, we have identified 110 mouse embryonic stem cell ( mESC ) specifically expressed transcripts with cell‐stage‐specific alternative transcription start sites ( SATS isoforms) from 104 ubiquitously expressed genes, majority of which have active epigenetic modification‐ or stem cell‐related functions. These SATS isoforms are specifically expressed in mESC s, and tend to be transcriptionally regulated by key pluripotency factors through direct promoter binding. Knocking down the SATS isoforms of Nmnat2 or Usp7 leads to differentiation‐related phenotype in mESC s. These results demonstrate that cell‐type‐specific transcription factors are capable to produce cell‐type‐specific transcripts with alternative transcription start sites from ubiquitously expressed genes, which confer ubiquitously expressed genes novel functions involved in the establishment or maintenance of cell‐type‐specific features.