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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2021.07.18.452838

TAF4b transcription networks regulating early oocyte differentiation

Gura, M. A.·Relovska, S.·Abt, K. M.·Seymour, K. A.·Wu, T.·Kaya, H.·Turner, J.·Fazzio, T. G.·Freiman, R. N.
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Abstract

Establishment of a healthy ovarian reserve is contingent upon numerous regulatory pathways during embryogenesis. Previously, mice lacking TBP-associated factor 4b (Taf4b) were shown to exhibit a diminished ovarian reserve. However, potential oocyte-intrinsic functions of TAF4b have not been examined. Here we use a combination of gene expression profiling and chromatin mapping to characterize the TAF4b gene regulatory network in mouse oocytes. We find that Taf4b-deficient oocytes display inappropriate expression of meiotic, chromatin, and X-linked genes, and unexpectedly we found a connection with Turner Syndrome pathways. Using Cleavage Under Targets and Release Using Nuclease (CUT&RUN), we observed TAF4b enrichment at genes involved in meiosis and DNA repair, some of which are differentially expressed in Taf4b-deficient oocytes. Interestingly, TAF4b target genes were enriched for Sp/KLF family motifs rather than TATA-box, suggesting an alternate mode of promoter interaction. Together, our data connects several gene regulatory nodes that contribute to the ovarian reserve.

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Gura, M. A., Relovska, S., Abt, K. M., Seymour, K. A., Wu, T., Kaya, H., Turner, J., Fazzio, T. G., Freiman, R. N.. 2021-07-18. TAF4b transcription networks regulating early oocyte differentiation. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.18.452838

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