DOI: 10.5061/dryad.s04bb
title: Data from: Spatially coordinated dynamic gene transcription in living pituitary tissue

description: 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.
description: Adult Pituitary
 Data1GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in adult pituitary tissue and subsequent
 modelling of transcription activity using a stochastic switch
 model.Adult Pituitary
 Data2GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in adult pituitary tissue and subsequent
 modelling of transcription activity using a stochastic switch
 model.Adult Pituitary
 Data3GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in adult pituitary tissue and subsequent
 modelling of transcription activity using a stochastic switch
 model.E18_5 Pituitary
 Data1GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in embryonic day18.5 pituitary tissue and
 subsequent modelling of transcription activity using a stochastic switch
 model.E18_5 Pituitary
 Data2GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in embryonic day18.5 pituitary tissue and
 subsequent modelling of transcription activity using a stochastic switch
 model.P1_5 Pituitary
 Data1GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in post-natal day1.5 pituitary tissue and
 subsequent modelling of transcription activity using a stochastic switch
 model.P1_5 Pituitary
 Data2GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in post-natal day1.5 pituitary tissue and
 subsequent modelling of transcription activity using a stochastic switch
 model.Adult Pituitary Trypsin
 Untreated Data1GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in adult pituitary tissue. Control sample to
 compare to Adult Pituitary Trypsin Treated Data1.Adult Pituitary Trypsin
 Treated Data1GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in adult pituitary tissue treated with trypsin
 for 2hrs prior to confocal imaging. Compare to Adult Pituitary Trypsin
 Untreated Data1.Adult Pituitary Trypsin
 Untreated Data2GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in adult pituitary tissue. Control sample to
 compare to Adult Pituitary Trypsin Treated Data2.Adult Pituitary Trypsin
 Treated Data2GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in adult pituitary tissue treated with trypsin
 for 2hrs prior to confocal imaging. Compare to Adult Pituitary Trypsin
 Untreated Data2.Adult
 Pituitary_Cx_AGA_Data1GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in adult pituitary tissue treated with
 18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid (20uM) for 2hrs prior to confocal imaging.
 Compare to Adult Pituitary Data2.Adult
 Pituitary_Cx_AGA_Data2GFP fluorescence
 measured from single cells in adult pituitary tissue treated with
 18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid (20uM) for 2hrs prior to confocal imaging.
 Compare to Adult Pituitary Data3.