title: Influence of epigenetic changes during oocyte growth on nuclear reprogramming after nuclear transfer.
abstract: Genomic imprinting is the epigenetic mechanism that distinguishes whether the loci that are inherited from the maternal or paternal genome lead to parent-specific gene expression. The mechanism also regulates development in mammalian embryos. Genomic imprinting is established after implantation according to the specific markers that are imposed on the genome during gametogenesis; the allele-specific gene expression is then maintained throughout embryogenesis. The genomic imprinting markers are erased and renewed on an own-sex basis only in cells that differentiate into germline cells. This report shows that the epigenetic modifications that occur during oogenesis perform the crucial function of establishing the allele-specific expression of imprinted genes, and also suggests that the epigenetic DNA modification is related to the reprogramming and aberrant development seen in manipulated embryos.
authors.affiliation: Nodai Research Institute, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan. tomohiro@nodai.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kono
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D019976:Cloning, Organism; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016678:Genome; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development*; D011247:Pregnancy