title: Epigenetic reprogramming in mouse pre-implantation development and primordial germ cells.
abstract: Epigenetic modifications are crucial for the identity and stability of cells, and, when aberrant, can lead to disease. During mouse development, the genome-wide epigenetic states of pre-implantation embryos and primordial germ cells (PGCs) undergo extensive reprogramming. An improved understanding of the epigenetic reprogramming mechanisms that occur in these cells should provide important new information about the regulation of the epigenetic state of a cell and the mechanisms of induced pluripotency. Here, we discuss recent findings about the potential mechanisms of epigenetic reprogramming, particularly genome-wide DNA demethylation, in pre-implantation mouse embryos and PGCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. saitou@anat2.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mitinori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saitou
authors.forename: Saya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kagiwada
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurimoto
mesh_terms: D044503:5-Methylcytosine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D044503:5-Methylcytosine