Zygotic Genome Activation Triggers the DNA Replication Checkpoint at the Midblastula Transition

Blythe, Shelby A.; Wieschaus, Eric

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.01.050

Cited by 165 publications

(241 citation statements)

References 59 publications

(70 reference statements)

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“…GAF is thought to mediate transcription, at least in part, through a role in the establishment of poised polymerase (Shopland et al 1995;Bhat et al 1996;Lee et al 2008). The fact that poised polymerase is not established until cycle 13 Blythe and Wieschaus 2015) supports our model that GAF is required specifically for gene expression at cycles 13-14. Thus, we suggest that Zld-dependent early embryonic enhancers may be unique in that they rely only on Zld for chromatin accessibility.…”

Section: Genome Research 1721supporting

confidence: 70%

Zelda is differentially required for chromatin accessibility, transcription factor binding, and gene expression in the early Drosophila embryo

et al. 2015

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The transition from a specified germ cell to a population of pluripotent cells occurs rapidly following fertilization. During this developmental transition, the zygotic genome is largely transcriptionally quiescent and undergoes significant chromatin remodeling. In Drosophila, the DNA-binding protein Zelda (also known as Vielfaltig) is required for this transition and for transcriptional activation of the zygotic genome. Open chromatin is associated with Zelda-bound loci, as well as more generally with regions of active transcription. Nonetheless, the extent to which Zelda influences chromatin accessibility across the genome is largely unknown. Here we used formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements to determine the role of Zelda in regulating regions of open chromatin in the early embryo. We demonstrate that Zelda is essential for hundreds of regions of open chromatin. This Zelda-mediated chromatin accessibility facilitates transcription-factor recruitment and early gene expression. Thus, Zelda possesses some key characteristics of a pioneer factor. Unexpectedly, chromatin at a large subset of Zelda-bound regions remains open even in the absence of Zelda. The GAGA factor-binding motif and embryonic GAGA factor binding are specifically enriched in these regions. We propose that both Zelda and GAGA factor function to specify sites of open chromatin and together facilitate the remodeling of the early embryonic genome.

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Section: Genome Research 1721supporting

confidence: 70%

Zelda is differentially required for chromatin accessibility, transcription factor binding, and gene expression in the early Drosophila embryo

et al. 2015

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“…A recent study reveals an interplay between zygotic transcription and DNA replication at the MBT (Blythe and Wieschaus, 2015). It has been proposed that euchromatin DNA is replicated within a few minutes into nc14 interphase (Shermoen et al, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modulation of temporal dynamics of gene transcription by activator potency in theDrosophilaembryo

Liu

2015

Development

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The Drosophila embryo at the mid-blastula transition (MBT) concurrently experiences a receding first wave of zygotic transcription and the surge of a massive second wave. It is not well understood how genes in the first wave become turned off transcriptionally and how their precise timing may impact embryonic development. Here we perturb the timing of the shutdown of Bicoid (Bcd)-dependent hunchback (hb) transcription in the embryo through the use of a Bcd mutant that has heightened activating potency. A delayed shutdown specifically increases Bcd-activated hb levels, and this alters spatial characteristics of the patterning outcome and causes developmental defects. Our study thus documents a specific participation of maternal activator input strength in the timing of molecular events in precise accordance with MBT morphological progression.

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“…For example, the last cell cycle during synchronized divisions of the Drosophila melanogaster embryo can be distinguished from the previous ones by several features, including increased cell cycle duration (with an extended G2) (Yuan et al, 2014;Blythe and Wieschaus, 2015;Zaballos et al, 2015). We believe that an analogous scenario may apply to the RAM during the last cell cycle just before cell proliferation arrest and initiation of differentiation, associated with changes in the gene expression program.…”

Section: Cells Undergoing Their Last Cell Cycle In the Ram Possess Amentioning

confidence: 95%

Histone H3 Dynamics Reveal Domains with Distinct Proliferation Potential in the Arabidopsis Root

et al. 2016

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Zygotic Genome Activation Triggers the DNA Replication Checkpoint at the Midblastula Transition

Cited by 165 publications

References 59 publications

Zelda is differentially required for chromatin accessibility, transcription factor binding, and gene expression in the early Drosophila embryo

Zelda is differentially required for chromatin accessibility, transcription factor binding, and gene expression in the early Drosophila embryo

Modulation of temporal dynamics of gene transcription by activator potency in theDrosophilaembryo

Histone H3 Dynamics Reveal Domains with Distinct Proliferation Potential in the Arabidopsis Root

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