This year marks the 25th anniversary of the birth of Dolly, the first mammal produced through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) using an adult somatic cell. Although numerous mammalian species have been successfully cloned over the years, including primates, the application of SCNT is hampered by low efficiency. The hurdle remains the nuclear reprogramming of a differentiated cell's DNA into the totipotent state of an embryo. While the exact mechanism employed by the oocyte has yet to be fully deciphered, we know that numerous epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin configuration, and non-coding RNAs need to be reversed and properly re-established for normal gene expression and development. Recent research has shed light on how the manipulation of the epigenome (at the donor cell or embryo-level) can improve the extensiveness of nuclear reprogramming and increase in vitro and in vivo development.
Therefore, the aim of this Research Topic is to assemble research, methods and reviews that highlight increased cloning efficiency through the manipulation of epigenetic modifications to improve nuclear reprogramming.
Since SCNT success varies between species, we welcome research in diverse mammalian species to provide the scope of progress in the field. We encourage the submission of Original Research articles, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, and Methods covering the following topics:
- Use of small-molecule epigenetic modulators (inhibitors or activators)
- Up-regulation or knockdown/knockout of epigenetic modifiers
- CRISPR-based epigenomic editing
- Epigenomic analyses of cloned embryos
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the birth of Dolly, the first mammal produced through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) using an adult somatic cell. Although numerous mammalian species have been successfully cloned over the years, including primates, the application of SCNT is hampered by low efficiency. The hurdle remains the nuclear reprogramming of a differentiated cell's DNA into the totipotent state of an embryo. While the exact mechanism employed by the oocyte has yet to be fully deciphered, we know that numerous epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin configuration, and non-coding RNAs need to be reversed and properly re-established for normal gene expression and development. Recent research has shed light on how the manipulation of the epigenome (at the donor cell or embryo-level) can improve the extensiveness of nuclear reprogramming and increase in vitro and in vivo development.
Therefore, the aim of this Research Topic is to assemble research, methods and reviews that highlight increased cloning efficiency through the manipulation of epigenetic modifications to improve nuclear reprogramming.
Since SCNT success varies between species, we welcome research in diverse mammalian species to provide the scope of progress in the field. We encourage the submission of Original Research articles, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, and Methods covering the following topics:
- Use of small-molecule epigenetic modulators (inhibitors or activators)
- Up-regulation or knockdown/knockout of epigenetic modifiers
- CRISPR-based epigenomic editing
- Epigenomic analyses of cloned embryos
