Although more studies are demonstrating that a father's environment can influence child
health and disease, the molecular mechanisms underlying non-genetic inheritance remain …

BACKGROUND It has long been thought that the factors affecting embryo and foetal
development were exclusively maternally derived; hence, if issues regarding fertility and …

Epigenome reprogramming after fertilization enables transcriptionally quiescent maternal
and paternal chromatin to acquire a permissive state for subsequent zygotic genome …

Totipotency emerges in early embryogenesis, but its molecular underpinnings remain poorly
characterized. In the present study, we employed DNA fiber analysis to investigate how …

Establishment of the DNA methylation landscape of mammalian oocytes, mediated by the
DNMT3A-DNMT3L complex, is crucial for reproduction and development. In mouse oocytes …

Highlights•Cellular models can recapitulate some aspects of embryonic genome
activation.•Multiple factors regulate embryonic genome activation.•Several types of totipotent …

The zygotic genome is transcriptionally silent immediately after fertilization. In mice, initial
activation of the zygotic genome occurs in the middle of the one-cell stage. At the mid-to-late …

DNA replication enables genetic inheritance across the kingdoms of life. Replication occurs
with a defined temporal order known as the replication timing (RT) programme, leading to …

Rapid climate change is placing many marine species at risk of local extinction. Recent
studies show that epigenetic mechanisms (eg DNA methylation, histone modifications) can …

The genome of mammalian sperm is largely packaged by sperm-specific proteins termed
protamines. The presence of some residual nucleosomes has, however, emerged as a …