Differentiation: the selective potentiation of chromatin domains.
Potentiation is requisite for the expression of our genome. It is the mechanism of opening chromatin domains to render genes accessible to tissue-specific and ubiquitous transacting-factors that enables transcription. The results presented in this study demonstrate that modulation of stage- and cell-type-specific gene expression during mammalian spermatogenesis involves selective potentiation of testis-expressed genes that reverses their repressive state when present in the spermatogonial stem cell. This directly contrasts hematopoiesis, which acts to selectively restrict lineage potential during differentiation from its permissive stem cell. These results are key to understanding how differentiative pathways are controlled and cellular phenotypes determined. A window to their modulation is presented.
Kramer
J A
JA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
McCarrey
J R
JR
Djakiew
D
D
Krawetz
S A
SA
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010641:Phenotype; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013087:Spermatids / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002843:Chromatin