Dissecting the retinoid-induced differentiation of F9 embryonal stem cells by integrative genomics [mRNA profiling]

Retinoic acid (RA) triggers physiological processes by activating heterodimeric transcription factors comprising retinoic acid (RARa,b,g) and retinoid X (RXRa,b,g) receptors. How a single signal induces highly complex temporally controlled networks that ultimately orchestrate physiological processes is unclear. Using an RA-inducible differentiation model we defined the temporal changes in the genome-wide binding patterns of RARg and RXRa and correlated them with transcription regulation. Unexpectedly, both receptors displayed a highly dynamic binding, with different RXRa heterodimers targeting identical loci. Comparison of RARg and RXRa co-binding at RA-regulated genes identified putative RXRa-RARg target genes that were validated with subtype-selective agonists. Gene regulatory decisions during differentiation were inferred from transcription factor target gene information and temporal gene expression. This analysis revealed 6 distinct co-expression paths of which RXRa-RARg is associated with transcription activation, while Sox2 and Egr1 were predicted to regulate repression. Finally, RXRa-RARg regulatory networks were reconstructed through integration of functional co-citations. Our analysis provides a dynamic view of RA signalling during cell differentiation, reveals RA heterodimer dynamics and promiscuity, and predicts decisions that diversify the RA signal into distinct gene-regulatory programs.

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Mendoza-Parra MA, Walia M, Sankar M, Gronemeyer H