title: Establishment and functions of DNA methylation in the germline.
abstract: Epigenetic modifications established during gametogenesis regulate transcription and other nuclear processes in gametes, but also have influences in the zygote, embryo and postnatal life. This is best understood for DNA methylation which, established at discrete regions of the oocyte and sperm genomes, governs genomic imprinting. In this review, we describe how imprinting has informed our understanding of de novo DNA methylation mechanisms, highlight how recent genome-wide profiling studies have provided unprecedented insights into establishment of the sperm and oocyte methylomes and consider the fate and function of gametic methylation and other epigenetic modifications after fertilization.
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK.|Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, DK2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kathleen R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK.|Laboratory of Developmental Biology & Genetics, Department of Molecular Biology, University of South Bohemia, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Veselovska
authors.affiliation: Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK.
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kelsey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019175:DNA Methylation; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D042421:Histone Code; D006801:Humans
keywords: DNA methylation; embryo; imprinting; oogenesis; spermatogenesis; transgenerational inheritance