Simultaneous Transcriptional and Epigenomic Profiling from Specific Cell Types within Heterogeneous Tissues In Vivo

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Epigenomic mechanisms direct distinct gene expression programs for different cell types. Various in vivo tissues have been subjected to epigenomic analysis; however, these studies have been limited by cellular heterogeneity, resulting in composite gene expression and epigenomic profiles. Here, we introduce "NuTRAP," a transgenic mouse that allows simultaneous isolation of cell-type-specific translating mRNA and chromatin from complex tissues. Using NuTRAP, we successfully characterize gene expression and epigenomic states of various adipocyte populations in vivo, revealing significant differences compared to either whole adipose tissue or in vitro adipocyte cell lines. We find that chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) using NuTRAP is highly efficient, scalable, and robust with even limited cell input. We further demonstrate the general utility of NuTRAP by analyzing hepatocyte-specific epigenomic states. The NuTRAP mouse is a resource that provides a powerful system for cell-type-specific gene expression and epigenomic profiling.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.