EMBL scientists take new approach to predict gene expression
Embryonic development is like a well-organised building project, with the embryo's DNA serving as the blueprint from which all construction details are derived. Cells carry out different functions according to a developmental plan, by expressing, i.e. turning on, different combinations of genes. These patterns of gene expression are controlled by transcription factors: molecules which bind to stretches of DNA called cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), and, once bound, switch the relevant genes on or off. Thanks to scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, it is now possible to accurately predict when and where different CRMs will be active. The study, published today in Nature, is a first step towards forecasting the expression of all genes in a given organism and demonstrates that the genetic regulation that is crucial for correct embryonic development is more flexible than previously thought.
Through an interdisciplinary collaboration between biologist Robert P. Zinzen, computer scientist Charles Girardot and statistician Julien Gagneur, a novel, integrated approach was possible. They combined detailed experimental data about where and when transcription factors are binding to CRMs with a computational approach, and were able to forecast CRM activity.
"Going from global binding data to CRM activity was a big challenge in the field - one which we have now begun to overcome", says Eileen Furlong, who headed the study.