The influence of segmental copy number variation on tissue transcriptomes through development

A preliminary understanding of the phenotypic effect of copy number variation (CNV) of DNA segments is emerging. These rearrangements were demonstrated to influence, in a somewhat dose-dependent manner, the expression of genes mapping within. They were shown to also affect the expression of genes located on their flanks, sometimes at great distance. Here, we show by monitoring these effects at multiple life stages, that these controls over expression are effective throughout mouse development. Similarly, we observe that the more specific spatial expression patterns of CNV genes are maintained throughout life. However, we find that some brain-expressed genes appear to be under compensatory loops only at specific time-points, indicating that the influence of CNVs on these genes is modulated through development. We also observe that CNV genes are significantly enriched upon transcripts that show variable time-course of expression in different strains. Thus modifying the number of copy of a gene not only potentially alters its expression level, but possibly also its time of expression.

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Chaignat E, Yahya-Graison EA, Henrichsen CN, Chrast J, Schütz F, Pradervand S, Reymond A