Latent epigenetic programs in Müller glia contribute to stress and disease response in the retina.

Previous studies have demonstrated the dynamic changes in chromatin structure during retinal development correlate with changes in gene expression. However, those studies lack cellular resolution. Here, we integrate single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (scATAC-seq) with bulk data to identify cell-type-specific changes in chromatin structure during human and murine development.

Nucleome Dynamics during Retinal Development.

More than 8,000 genes are turned on or off as progenitor cells produce the 7 classes of retinal cell types during development. Thousands of enhancers are also active in the developing retinae, many having features of cell- and developmental stage-specific activity. We studied dynamic changes in the 3D chromatin landscape important for precisely orchestrated changes in gene expression during retinal development by ultra-deep in situ Hi-C analysis on murine retinae.