Mechanisms of maternal intergenerational epigenetic inheritance
Andrina Stäubli1, Antoine Hfm Peters1
1Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Faculty of Sciences, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|February 19, 2021
Summary
Maternal epigenetic memory in mammalian oocytes, involving histone modifications like H3K4me3 and H3K27me3, is crucial for successful embryonic development from early stages through post-implantation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Epigenetics
- Genomics
Background:
- Mammalian embryonic development initiates with the fusion of egg and sperm.
- Oocytes and early embryos undergo significant genomic reprogramming.
- Epigenetic modifications play a critical role in orchestrating developmental transitions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an integrated overview of dynamic changes in transcription, chromatin, and 3D organization in mouse oocytes and early embryos.
- To elucidate molecular hierarchies and crosstalk in maternal epigenetic memory.
- To understand how epigenetic states support pre- and post-implantation development.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of transcriptional processes.
- Assessment of chromatin composition (histone modifications).
- Investigation of 3D genome organization.
Main Results:
- Identified three distinct maternal epigenetic memory states in oocytes.
- H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) promotes early transcription by opposing H3K9 methylation.
- Interplay between transcription, H3K36me3, and H3K4 demethylation drives de novo DNA methylation.
- Maternally inherited H3K27me3 regulates post-implantation development.
- Polycomb Group proteins and H3K4me3 influence 3D genome organization.
Conclusions:
- Maternal epigenetic memory, encompassing histone methylation and Polycomb-mediated silencing, is essential for mammalian embryogenesis.
- Specific histone marks and their interplay dictate transcriptional permissiveness and developmental trajectories.
- Dynamic regulation of chromatin and 3D organization by epigenetic factors is fundamental for oocyte and embryonic development.
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