mRNA degradation may contribute to transcription factor dynamics at both the RNA and protein levels. (A) Box plots showing the mRNA half-life distributions of transcription factor genes and all other genes in early-, middle-, and late-stage cells. Numbers to the left of the box plots are median half-lives within each group. Numbers above the box plots are the number of genes within each group. P-values comparing median half-lives were calculated using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Outliers are not shown: From left to right, 198, five, 336, nine, 314, and nine genes within each group had mRNA half-lives >100 min. (B) Grid displaying the percentage of transcription factors with transient or persistent mRNA expression and transient or persistent protein expression. The probability that RNA and protein dynamics are independent of one another was calculated using a Fisher's exact test. (C) Box plots showing the single-cell RNA sequencing pseudobulk mRNA half-life distributions of transcription factors with transient mRNA and protein expression, transient mRNA and persistent protein expression, persistent mRNA and transient protein expression, and persistent mRNA and protein expression. Numbers to the left of the box plots are median half-lives within each group. Numbers above the box plots are the number of genes within each group. P-values comparing median half-lives were calculated using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. (D,E) Sublineages with coloring representing reporter GFP expression from a single-cell transcription factor protein expression atlas of the C. elegans embryo (Ma et al. 2021). Protein and mRNA dynamics are characterized below, along with pseudobulk measured mRNA half-life.
