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Increased transcriptome variation and localised DNA methylation changes in oocytes from aged mice revealed by parallel single-cell analysis [scBS-seq]

ABSTRACT: Advancing maternal age causes a progressive reduction in fertility. The decline in developmental competence of the oocyte with age is likely to be a consequence of multiple contributory factors. Loss of epigenetic quality of the oocyte should be considered as one factor, as epigenetic errors could impair early developmental events or programme adverse outcomes in offspring that manifest only later in life. Here, we undertake joint profiling of the transcriptome and DNA methylome in individual oocytes from reproductively young and old female mice. We find reduced complexity as well as increased variance in the transcriptome in oocytes from aged females. This heterogeneity is reflected in the identification of discrete sub-populations of oocytes, including those with a transcriptome characteristic of oocytes with immature chromatin configuration, as well as those with a young-like transcriptome. Oocytes from older females had on average reduced CpG methylation, but the characteristic bimodal methylation landscape of the oocyte was preserved. Germline differentially methylated regions of imprinted genes were appropriately methylated irrespective of age. For the majority of differentially expressed transcripts, the absence of correlated methylation changes suggests a post-transcriptional basis for most age-related effects on the transcriptome. However, we did find differences in gene-body methylation at which there were corresponding changes in gene expression, indicating age-related effects on transcription that translate into methylation differences. Interestingly, oocytes varied in expression and methylation of these genes, which could contribute to variable competence of oocytes or penetrance of maternal age-related phenotypes in offspring.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE154271 | GEO | 2020/11/20

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Metabolic stress associated with negative energy balance in high producing dairy cattle and obesity in women is a risk factor for decreased fertility. Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) are involved in this pathogenesis as they jeopardize oocyte and embryo development. Growing evidence indicates that maternal metabolic disorders can disturb epigenetic programming, and more specifically DNA methylation, in the offspring. Final oocyte maturation and early embryo development coincide with specific methylation changes and both time periods are sensitive to adverse environments. Therefore, we investigated whether elevated NEFA concentrations affect the establishment and maintenance of DNA methylation patterns in oocytes and embryos and subsequently alter transcriptomic profiles and developmental competence of the resultant blastocysts. To do this, bovine oocytes and embryos were exposed to different NEFA concentrations in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, oocytes were matured in vitro for 24 hours in medium containing: 1) physiological (âBASALâ) concentrations of oleic (OA), palmitic (PA) and stearic (SA) or 2) elevated (pathophysiological or âHIGH COMBIâ) concentrations of OA, PA and SA. In the second experiment, zygotes were cultivated in vitro for 6.5 days under BASAL or HIGH COMBI conditions. The developmental competence was evaluated by assessing cleavage and blastocyst rate. Overall gene expression and DNA methylation of resultant blastocysts were analyzed using microarray techniques. Data regarding DNA methylation were re-evaluated by pyrosequencing. HIGH COMBI-exposed oocytes and embryos displayed a lower competence to develop into blastocysts compared to their BASAL-exposed counterparts (19.3 % compared to 23.2 % and 18.2 % compared to 25.3 %, respectively) (P < 0.05). HIGH COMBI-exposed oocytes and embryos resulted in blastocysts with altered DNA methylation profiles and transcriptomic fingerprints, compared to BASAL-exposed counterparts. Differences in gene expression and methylation were more pronounced after exposure during culture compared to maturation suggesting that zygotes are more susceptible to an adverse environment. Main gene networks affected were related to lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, cell death, immune response and metabolic disorders. This may offer clues regarding the high rate of embryonic loss and metabolic diseases during later stages of life observed in offspring from mothers displaying lipolytic disorders. The effect of elevated NEFA exposure during embryo culture (6.5 days) on gene expression was evaluated by exposing embryos to the BASAL or HIGH COMBI conditions. A total of 1412 oocytes were used, equally distributed between treatments in 4 replicates. Resultant day 7.5 blastocysts were snap frozen for subsequent transcriptome analysis (80 blastocysts in each experiments, equally collected between treatments in 4 replicates).

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Increased transcriptome variation and localised DNA methylation changes in oocytes from aged mice revealed by parallel single-cell analysis [scBS-seq]

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