Fig. 2: Differentially expressed IRX3 target genes relate to histone modifications and chromatin remodeling.

To identify functionally relevant IRX3 targets, we integrated IRX3 ChIP-seq data from iWAT (n \(=\) 2) and gWAT (n \(=\) 1) with transcriptomic profiles of IRX3-knockout (KO) ME3 cells during adipocyte differentiation (n \(=\) 6; p_adj \(\le\) 0.01; fold change \(\ge \,\)1.2; data from¹⁴. a Venn diagram showing the overlap between IRX3-bound genes and merged differentially expressed genes (DEGs) on days 1 and 7 of differentiation. Circle sizes are not to scale. b Heatmap showing IRX3 binding enrichment at target loci alongside the direction and amplitude of gene expression changes in IRX3-KO cells on days 1 and 7. c Enriched Panther and Reactome ontology terms among the 122 IRX3 target genes that are differentially expressed on day 1. Bar graphs illustrating Log₂ fold changes in gene expression for IRX3-KO versus control cells within the GO categories “H3K4 mono/demethylation” (d) and “Chromosome organization” (e) on day 1. f Enriched GO terms among the 179 IRX3 target genes with altered expression on day 7. Log₂ fold changes in expression for genes within the GO categories “Chromatin modifying enzymes” (g), “Nucleosome organization” (h), “Histone H4 acetylation” (i), and “Histone H2A acetylation” (j) on day 7. Bars indicate mean expression changes (n \(=\) 6), with standard deviation shown as error bars. Upregulated genes are displayed in red; downregulated genes in blue. See Supplementary Fig. S3 for additional categories. Source data are provided in the Source Data file.