Germ cell chromatin†

During mammalian gametogenesis, the chromatin landscape is especially dynamic. Primordial germ cells (PGCs), the precursors to mature male and female gametes, are a transient and small cell population that undergoes profound epigenetic reprogramming. Our knowledge of this process has come primarily from descriptive studies of mouse and human PGCs, and functional studies in mouse. Now, advances in both epigenetic profiling and in vitro gametogenesis are facilitating more in-depth study of germ cell chromatin. Here, we review these findings in the broader context of chromatin dynamics in mouse and human PGCs.