Transcription profiling by array of HaCaT keratinocytes synchronised during the cell cycle and sampled at 3 hour intervals

HaCat cell cycle experiment: During the somatic cell cycle, DNA and epigenetic modifications in DNA and histones are copied to daughter cells. DNA replication timing is tightly regulated and linked to GC content, chromatin structure, andgene transcription, but how maintenance of histone modifications relates to replication timing and transcription is less understood.The gene expression patters on HaCaT keratinocytes during the cell cycle is studied by a time series analysis of synchroniced cells sampled at 3 hour intervals. We show that genes enriched with the repressive chromatin mark histone H3 lysine 27 tri-methylation are transcribed during DNA replication . The gene expression is related to replication timing, as genes expressed during G1/S transition andearly S phase generally have higher GC content and are replicated earlier than genes expressed during late S phase. These results indicate widespread replication-dependent expression in mammals and support a role for replication in transiently activating transcription of epigenetically silenced genes.

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Peña-Diaz J, Hegre SA, Anderssen E, Aas PA, Mjelle R, Gilfillan GD, Lyle R, Drabløs F, Krokan HE, Sætrom P