Project description:Maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is a conserved and fundamental process during which the maternal environment of oocyte transits to the zygotic genome driven expression program, and terminally differentiated oocyte and sperm are reprogrammed to totipotency. It is initiated by maternal mRNAs and proteins during the period of zygotic genome quiescence after fertilization, followed by a gradual switch to zygotic genome activation and accompanied by clearance of maternal RNAs and proteins. A key question for embryonic development is how MZT process is regulated. Here we used a low-input proteomic analysis to measure the proteomic dynamics during early development of mouse maternal-to-zygotic transition.
Project description:Maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is a conserved and fundamental process during which the maternal environment of oocyte transits to the zygotic genome driven expression program, and terminally differentiated oocyte and sperm are reprogrammed to totipotency. Metaphase II (MII) oocytes and zygotes (one-cell embryo) serve as the mature oocyte and the initiation of pre-implantation embryo development respectively, and characterizing their molecular landscapes at protein levels plays an important role in uncovering MZT and zygotic genome activation (ZGA )in mammals. Here we used an ultrasensitive proteomic approach to depict an in-depth landscape for the very early stage of mouse MZT.
Project description:Mammalian embryogenesis involves intricate epigenetic reprogramming and chromatin remodeling. In this study, we investigated the role of Brg1, a catalytic ATPase subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, in early embryonic development and mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) pluripotency. By generating Smarca4 flox/flox Gdf9-Cre female mice to knockout Brg1 in MII oocytes and using CRISPR-Cas9 to knockout Brg1 in mESCs, we found that Brg1 deficiency led to multiple defects. In mouse embryos, maternal knockout of Brg1 caused reduced blastocyst formation, delayed development, elevated nucleosome occupancy at gene promoters, and dysregulation of zygotic genome activation (ZGA) genes, potentially due to disrupted binding of totipotency-related transcription factors (TFs). In mESCs, Brg1 knockout resulted in abnormal clone morphology, decreased pluripotency marker expression, and reduced cell proliferation. Brg1 affected pluripotency mainly by influencing the binding of pluripotency-related TFs such as Oct4 through enhancer accessibility. We identified those TFs as totipotency/pluripotency Brg1-dependent TFs. Overall, this study demonstrates the crucial role of Brg1 in ZGA and mESC identity maintenance in affecting specific TF binding on proximal and distal regulatory elements.
Project description:Mammalian embryogenesis involves intricate epigenetic reprogramming and chromatin remodeling. In this study, we investigated the role of Brg1, a catalytic ATPase subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, in early embryonic development and mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) pluripotency. By generating Smarca4 flox/flox Gdf9-Cre female mice to knockout Brg1 in MII oocytes and using CRISPR-Cas9 to knockout Brg1 in mESCs, we found that Brg1 deficiency led to multiple defects. In mouse embryos, maternal knockout of Brg1 caused reduced blastocyst formation, delayed development, elevated nucleosome occupancy at gene promoters, and dysregulation of zygotic genome activation (ZGA) genes, potentially due to disrupted binding of totipotency-related transcription factors (TFs). In mESCs, Brg1 knockout resulted in abnormal clone morphology, decreased pluripotency marker expression, and reduced cell proliferation. Brg1 affected pluripotency mainly by influencing the binding of pluripotency-related TFs such as Oct4 through enhancer accessibility. We identified those TFs as totipotency/pluripotency Brg1-dependent TFs. Overall, this study demonstrates the crucial role of Brg1 in ZGA and mESC identity maintenance in affecting specific TF binding on proximal and distal regulatory elements.
Project description:We generated maternal and paternal mouse models with Yap1-deletion, and elucidated the function of maternal YAP in zygotic genome activation.
Project description:We collected whole genome testis expression data from hybrid zone mice. We integrated GWAS mapping of testis expression traits and low testis weight to gain insight into the genetic basis of hybrid male sterility.
