Data from: Spatially coordinated dynamic gene transcription in living pituitary tissue
Data files
Feb 11, 2016 version files 11.72 MB
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Adult Pituitary Data1.xlsx
1.30 MB
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Adult Pituitary Data2.xlsx
1.17 MB
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Adult Pituitary Data3.xlsx
1.24 MB
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Adult Pituitary Trypsin Treated Data1.xlsx
543.98 KB
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Adult Pituitary Trypsin Treated Data2.xlsx
786.86 KB
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Adult Pituitary Trypsin Untreated Data1.xlsx
779.26 KB
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Adult Pituitary Trypsin Untreated Data2.xlsx
581.58 KB
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Adult Pituitary_Cx_AGA_Data1.xlsx
1.04 MB
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Adult Pituitary_Cx_AGA_Data2.xlsx
998.40 KB
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E18_5 Pituitary Data1.xlsx
770.21 KB
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E18_5 Pituitary Data2.xlsx
451.91 KB
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P1_5 Pituitary Data1.xlsx
798.79 KB
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P1_5 Pituitary Data2.xlsx
1.25 MB
Abstract
Transcription at individual genes in single cells is often pulsatile and stochastic. A key question emerges regarding how this behaviour contributes to tissue phenotype, but it has been a challenge to quantitatively analyse this in living cells over time, as opposed to studying snap-shots of gene expression state. We have used imaging of reporter gene expression to track transcription in living pituitary tissue. We integrated live-cell imaging data with statistical modelling for quantitative real-time estimation of the timing of switching between transcriptional states across a whole tissue. Multiple levels of transcription rate were identified, indicating that gene expression is not a simple binary ‘on-off’ process. Immature tissue displayed shorter durations of high-expressing states than the adult. In adult pituitary tissue, direct cell contacts involving gap junctions allowed local spatial coordination of prolactin gene expression. Our findings identify how heterogeneous transcriptional dynamics of single cells may contribute to overall tissue behaviour.