Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2025
13:03
Epigenetic Regulation of Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissues
Published on: June 3, 2016
8.2K
Maternal epigenetic factors in embryonic and postnatal development.
Hiromi Nishimura1, Yayoi Ikawa1, Eriko Kajikawa1
1Laboratory for Organismal Patterning, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
Genes to Cells : Devoted to Molecular & Cellular Mechanisms
|March 12, 2023
Summary
Maternal epigenetic regulators in oocytes and granulosa cells are crucial for embryo development. Aging impacts their expression, and specific genes like Kdm4a, Kdm6a, Prdm3, and Prdm16 play vital maternal roles in offspring development.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology and developmental epigenetics.
Background:
- Maternal factors within oocytes and granulosa cells significantly influence early embryonic development.
- Epigenetic regulators are key components of these maternal factors, but their specific roles and age-dependent changes are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify epigenetic regulators expressed in oocytes and/or granulosa cells.
- To investigate the impact of aging on the expression of these regulators.
- To determine the maternal role of selected epigenetic regulators in embryonic and postnatal development.
Main Methods:
- Expression analysis of 120 epigenetic regulators in young versus aged oocytes and granulosa cells.
- Generation of oocyte-specific knockout (MKO) mice for six candidate genes.
- Assessment of developmental outcomes, including perinatal lethality, postnatal survival, and embryonic defects, in offspring from MKO mice.
Main Results:
- Several epigenetic regulators showed differential expression in aged oocytes and granulosa cells compared to young cells.
- Oocyte-specific knockouts revealed maternal effects on development for Kdm6a, Kdm4a, Prdm3, and Prdm16.
- Kdm6a MKO offspring exhibited increased perinatal lethality; Prdm3;Prdm16 double MKO offspring showed higher postnatal death rates; Kdm4a MKO embryos displayed early developmental defects.
Conclusions:
- Maternal epigenetic regulators are differentially expressed during aging.
- Specific regulators, including Kdm4a, Kdm6a, Prdm3, and Prdm16, play critical maternal roles in embryonic and postnatal development.
- These findings highlight the importance of maternal epigenetics in ensuring successful offspring development.
More Related Videos
10:41An Integrated Platform for Genome-wide Mapping of Chromatin States Using High-throughput ChIP-sequencing in Tumor Tissues
Published on: April 5, 2018
10.5K
13:11Optimized Analysis of DNA Methylation and Gene Expression from Small, Anatomically-defined Areas of the Brain
Published on: July 12, 2012
18.9K
Related Concept Videos
01:37Epigenetic Regulation
3.1K
Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
X-chromosome...
3.1K
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
34.8K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
34.8K
01:24Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
1.9K
Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for...
1.9K
03:17Inheritance of Chromatin Structures
6.3K
Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying...
6.3K
01:20Gene-Environment Interactions
387
Gene expression is a dynamic process that is significantly influenced by environmental factors. This interaction underlies the complex nature of biological development and the phenotypic differences observed among individuals, even among those with identical genetic makeups. Factors such as radiation, temperature, behavior, nutrition, and stress play pivotal roles in determining how genes are expressed. The concept of the reaction range is central to understanding this interaction. It posits...
387
01:07Teratogenicity
2.6K
The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
2.6K