Early replication timing of the chicken alpha-globin gene domain correlates with its open chromatin state in cells of different lineages.
The vertebrate alpha-globin gene domain is an open chromatin domain overlapping a neighboring house-keeping gene. The tissue-specific cluster of alpha-globin genes and the overlapping housekeeping gene share the same replication origin. We have studied the replication timing of chicken alpha-globin genes in cells of different lineages using the FISH-based approach and found that alpha-globin genes replicate early both in erythroid and in non-erythroid cells, i.e. regardless of their transcriptional activity. Early replication timing of chicken alpha-globin genes in cells of different lineages was in good correlation with the open chromatin configuration of the alpha-globin gene domain in both erythroid and non-erythroid cells. We propose that active transcription of the housekeeping gene overlapping the alpha-globin gene domain enables an access of Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) proteins to the replication origin resulting in early replication of alpha-globin genes even in non-erythroid cells.
Klochkov
Denis B
DB
Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilov Street 34/5, 119334 Moscow, Russia.
Gavrilov
Alexey A
AA
Vassetzky
Yegor S
YS
Razin
Sergey V
SV
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics*; D002645:Chickens; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004261:DNA Replication; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D051738:Origin Recognition Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D018741:Replication Origin; D013997:Time Factors; D055542:alpha-Globins / Q000235:genetics*
D002843:Chromatin; D051738:Origin Recognition Complex; D055542:alpha-Globins