title: Integrative epigenomic analysis reveals unique epigenetic signatures involved in unipotency of mouse female germline stem cells.
abstract: Germline stem cells play an essential role in establishing the fertility of an organism. Although extensively characterized, the regulatory mechanisms that govern the fundamental properties of mammalian female germline stem cells remain poorly understood.
  
  
  
  We generate genome-wide profiles of the histone modifications H3K4me1, H3K27ac, H3K4me3, and H3K27me3, DNA methylation, and RNA polymerase II occupancy and perform transcriptome analysis in mouse female germline stem cells. Comparison of enhancer regions between embryonic stem cells and female germline stem cells identifies the lineage-specific enhancers involved in germline stem cell features. Additionally, our results indicate that DNA methylation primarily contributes to female germline stem cell unipotency by suppressing the somatic program and is potentially involved in maintenance of sexual identity when compared with male germline stem cells. Moreover, we demonstrate down-regulation of Prmt5 triggers differentiation and thus uncover a role for Prmt5 in maintaining the undifferentiated status of female germline stem cells.
  
  
  
  The genome-wide epigenetic signatures and the transcription regulators identified here provide an invaluable resource for understanding the fundamental features of mouse female germline stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Bio-ID Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Bio-ID Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Bio-ID Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Bio-ID Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Bio-ID Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Bio-ID Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Yunzhao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Bio-ID Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Yani
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Sequencing Technology Group, Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA.
authors.forename: Chee-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Sequencing Technology Group, Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA.
authors.forename: Chew Yee
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ngan
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Bio-ID Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Zhifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. jiwu@sjtu.edu.cn.|Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China. jiwu@sjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Bio-ID Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. xiaodongzhao@sjtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000072956:Adult Germline Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D057890:Epigenomics; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000235:genetics*; D016678:Genome; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D000066450:Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells; D000072977:Oogonial Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones
keywords: ChIP-Seq; Epigenome; Female germline stem cell