Genome architecture and totipotency: An intertwined relation during early embryonic development.

ABSTRACT: Chromosomes are not randomly packed and positioned into the nucleus but folded in higher-order chromatin structures with defined functions. However, the genome of a fertilized embryo undergoes a dramatic epigenetic reprogramming characterized by extensive chromatin relaxation and the lack of a defined three-dimensional structure. This reprogramming is followed by a slow genome refolding that gradually strengthens the chromatin architecture during preimplantation development. Interestingly, genome refolding during early development coincides with a progressive loss of developmental potential suggesting a link between chromatin organization and cell plasticity. In agreement, loss of chromatin architecture upon depletion of the insulator transcription factor CTCF in embryonic stem cells led t

SUBMITTER: Olbrich T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10281046 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature