Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) can reprogram a somatic nucleus to a totipotent state.
However, the re-organization of 3D chromatin structure in this process remains poorly …

Mammalian embryonic stem (ES) cells can either self-renew or generate progenitor cells
that have a more restricted developmental potential. This provides an important model …

Understanding the transcriptional regulation of pluripotent cells is of fundamental interest
and will greatly inform efforts aimed at directing differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells …

Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is the first transcription event in life. However, it is unclear
how RNA polymerase is engaged in initiating ZGA in mammals. Here, by developing small …

With the potential to give rise to all somatic cell types, human embryonic stem cells (hESC)
have generated enormous interest as agents of cell replacement therapy. One potential …

The scarcity of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the developing mammalian embryo hampers
robust biochemical analysis of the processes that underlie early germ cell formation. Here …

Much attention has focused on a small set of transcription factors that maintain human or
mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells in a pluripotent state. To gain a more complete …

Epigenetic mechanisms have been proposed to play crucial roles in mammalian
development, but their precise functions are only partially understood. To investigate …

Histone modifications are critical epigenetic indicators of chromatin state associated with
gene expression. Although the reprogramming patterns of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 have …

Cellular plasticity is essential for early embryonic cells. Unlike pluripotent cells, which form
embryonic tissues, totipotent cells can generate a complete organism including embryonic …