Abstract
De novo mutations in POGZ, which encodes the chromatin regulator Pogo Transposable Element with ZNF Domain protein, are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here we find that in the developing mouse and human brain POGZ binds predominantly euchromatic loci and these are enriched for human neurodevelopmental disorder genes and transposable elements. We profile chromatin accessibility and gene expression in Pogz−/− mice and find that POGZ promotes chromatin accessibility of candidate regulatory elements (REs) and the expression of clustered synaptic genes. We further demonstrate that POGZ forms a nuclear complex and co-occupies loci with HP1γ and ADNP, another high-confidence ASD risk gene. In Pogz+/− mice, Adnp expression is reduced. We postulate that reduced POGZ dosage disrupts cortical function through alterations in the POGZ-ADNP balance which modifies neuronal gene expression.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
