Gene expression and nuclear architecture during development and differentiation

Abstract

Development requires a precise program of gene expression to be carried out. Much work has focussed on the regulatory networks that control gene expression, for example in response to external cues. However, it is important to recognize that these regulatory events take place within the physical context of the nucleus, and that the physical position of a gene within the nuclear volume can have strong influences on its regulation and interactions. The first part of this review will summarize what is currently known about nuclear architecture, that is, the large-scale three-dimensional arrangement of chromosome loci within the nucleus. The remainder of the review will examine developmental processes from the point of view of the nucleus.

Sox4-mediated caldesmon expression facilitates skeletal myoblast differentiation

“…Myoblast differentiation is a highly ordered process that requires a particular combination of gene expression and signaling (Clatworthy and Subramanian, 2001;Handwerger and Aronow, 2003;Marshall, 2003). Myogenic cells withdraw from the cell cycle and undergo dramatic morphological changes.…”

Organization of chromosomes in spermatozoa: an additional layer of epigenetic information?

“…Taken together, all these data point towards a functional significance of chromosome organization in male germ cells, and it has been proposed that the unique genome architecture is important in fertilization and early embryonic development [17][18][19].…”

Spatio‐temporal organization of DNA replication in murine embryonic stem, primary, and immortalized cells

“…However, nuclear re-organization may involve more than just the subset of differentially expressed genes. In fact, it has been suggested that commitment to specific cell lineages may involve the global spatial reorganization of chromosomal domains and/or the progressive accumulation of heterochromatin to heritably silence genes whose expression is no longer required [Gilbert, 2001;Gasser, 2002;Marshall, 2003].…”