Chromatin dynamics and locus accessibility in the immune system.
Development in vertebrates follows distinctive pathways of cellular differentiation. Starting from the zygote, newly formed cells continually differentiate until they reach a final mature fate. Whether differentiating into a neuron, a hepatocyte or a myofibril, every normal cell, with the exception of developing lymphocytes, carries the same genetic information enclosed within its nucleus. To acquire distinct cellular identities, cells need to control gene expression in a very regulated way. Genes encoding factors required for identity at a particular developmental stage need to be appropriately activated, whereas genes required for identity during the previous developmental stage are often silenced. Moreover, once a cell becomes terminally differentiated, 'heritable' gene expression must be maintained in all daughter cells and, thus, faithfully recapitulated after each cellular division.
Mostoslavsky
Raul
R
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Children's Hospital, Center for Blood Research, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Alt
Frederick W
FW
Bassing
Craig H
CH
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000502:physiology*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D020868:Gene Silencing; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002843:Chromatin