title: The epigenetic modifications and the anterior to posterior characterization of meiotic entry during mouse oogenesis.
abstract: The meiotic initiation of mammalian oogonia is a critical step during the development of primordial germ cells (PGCs) to mature oocytes. In this study, a systematic investigation of epigenetic modifications and DAZL gene expression during oogonia meiotic entry were performed. We found that the expression of DAZL was epigenetically regulated by DNA methylation of CpG islands within its promoter region. During meiotic entry, a continuously increasing level of 5hmC, a stable epigenetic marker usually associated with the activation of gene expression, was observed from 11.5 to 16.5 dpc (days post coitum). Meanwhile trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone3 (H3K27me3), usually associated with repression of gene expression, had a sustainable increase from 12.5 to 16.5 dpc. Finally, by equally dividing the ovaries into three regions representing the anterior, the middle, and the posterior of the ovary and performing immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR on the individual regions, we provided further evidences that the meiotic entry and progression of female germ cells is in an anterior to posterior pattern.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.|Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
authors.forename: Xia-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.|Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
authors.forename: Shun-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Ni
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Dyce
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China. sunxf2008@hotmail.com.|Institute of Reproductive Sciences, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China. sunxf2008@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: 5hmC; DNA methylation; Dazl; H3K27me3; Meiotic entry; Oogenesis