Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40784942›Full record

ArticleBMC biology2025

Elevated EGR1 binding at enhancers in excitatory neurons correlates with neuronal subtype-specific epigenetic regulation.

Liduo Yin, Xiguang Xu, Benjamin Conacher, Yu Lin, Gabriela L Carrillo, Yupeng Cun, Michael A Fox, Xuemei Lu, Hehuang Xie

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. EpiBrain: the brain's epigenetic landscape in a snapshot.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Liduo Yin *Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China.
Xiguang Xu *Epigenomics and Computational Biology Lab, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Benjamin ConacherEpigenomics and Computational Biology Lab, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Yu LinEpigenomics and Computational Biology Lab, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
Gabriela L CarrilloFralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
Yupeng CunMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Pediatric Research Institute, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China.
Michael A FoxFralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
Xuemei LuKey Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, Yunnan, China. xuemeilu@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
Hehuang XieEpigenomics and Computational Biology Lab, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA. davidxie@vt.edu.

Funding

Functional RNA Modifications, Micronutrient Exposure, Developmental DisabilitiesR01ES031521 · NIEHS · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV · PI WANG, XIAOBIN, XIE, HEHUANG · 2020 to 2024
$1.9M
The epigenetic role of EGR1 during postnatal brain development and in neuronal activityR01NS094574 · NINDS · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV · PI XIE, HEHUANG · 2016 to 2020
$1.7M
Exploring epigenetic regulation of memory extinctionR21MH120498 · NIMH · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV · PI JAROME, TIMOTHY JOSEPH, XIE, HEHUANG · 2020 to 2020
$419k
NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES031521NIH HHS ES031521NIH HHS MH120498NIMH NIH HHS R21 MH120498NINDS NIH HHS NS094574NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS094574the National Key Research and Development Program of China 2023YFA1800500the National Natural Science Foundation of China 32150006the National Natural Science Foundation of China 32200350the open project of State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution GREKF22-07Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects 202201AU070208
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBrain development and neuronal cell specification are accompanied by epigenetic changes that enable the regulation of diverse gene expression patterns. During these processes, transcription factors interact with cell-type-specific epigenetic marks, binding to unique sets of cis-regulatory elements in different cell types. However, the detailed mechanisms through which cell-type-specific gene regulation is established in neurons remain to be explored.

resultsIn this study, we conducted a comparative histone modification analysis between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Our results revealed that neuronal cell-type-specific histone modifications are enriched in super enhancer regions that contain abundant EGR1 motifs. Further CUT&RUN assay confirmed that excitatory neurons exhibit more EGR1 binding sites, primarily located in enhancers. Integrative analysis demonstrated that EGR1 binding is strongly correlated with various epigenetic markers of open chromatin regions and is linked to distinct gene pathways specific to neuronal subtypes. In inhibitory neurons, most genomic regions containing EGR1 binding sites become accessible during early embryonic stages, whereas super enhancers in excitatory neurons, which also host EGR1 binding sites, gain accessibility during postnatal stages.

conclusionsThis study highlights the crucial role of transcription factor binding, such as EGR1, to enhancer regions, which may be key to establishing cell-type-specific gene regulation in neurons.

Indexed as

Early Growth Response Protein 1Enhancer Elements, GeneticEpigenesis, GeneticNeuronsAnimalsBinding SitesMiceEarly Growth Response Protein 1Egr1 protein, mouseEGR1EnhancerEpigeneticExcitatory neuronInhibitory neuronTranscription factor

Identifiers

PMID40784942
PMCPMC12337459

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.