title: The chicken erythrocyte epigenome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transcriptional regulation is impacted by multiple layers of genome organization. A general feature of transcriptionally active chromatin is sensitivity to DNase I and association with acetylated histones. However, very few of these active DNase I-sensitive domains, such as the chicken erythrocyte β-globin domain, have been identified and characterized. In chicken polychromatic erythrocytes, dynamically acetylated histones associated with DNase I-sensitive, transcriptionally active chromatin prevent histone H1/H5-induced insolubility at physiological ionic strength.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we identified and mapped out all the transcriptionally active chromosomal domains in the chicken polychromatic erythrocyte genome by combining a powerful chromatin fractionation method with next-generation DNA and RNA sequencing. Two classes of transcribed chromatin organizations were identified on the basis of the extent of solubility at physiological ionic strength. Highly transcribed genes were present in multigenic salt-soluble chromatin domains ranging in length from 30 to over 150 kb. We identified over 100 highly expressed genes that were organized in broad dynamically highly acetylated, salt-soluble chromatin domains. Highly expressed genes were associated with H3K4me3 and H3K27ac and produced discernible antisense transcripts. The moderately- and low-expressing genes had highly acetylated, salt-soluble chromatin regions confined to the 5' end of the gene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data provide a genome-wide profile of chromatin signatures in relation to expression levels in chicken polychromatic erythrocytes.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, 715 McDermot Avenue, Room 600A, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4 Canada.
authors.forename: Sanzida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jahan
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, 715 McDermot Avenue, Room 600A, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4 Canada.
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, 715 McDermot Avenue, Room 600A, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4 Canada.
authors.forename: Shihua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, 715 McDermot Avenue, Room 600A, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4 Canada.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, 715 McDermot Avenue, Room 600A, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4 Canada.
authors.forename: Geneviève P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Delcuve
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, University of Manitoba, 715 McDermot Avenue, Room 600A, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4 Canada.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Davie
keywords: Chicken erythrocyte transcriptome; Chromatin fractionation; Chromosomal domains; H3K27ac; H3K4me3; Histone acetylation; Histone methylation