Terminally differentiated gametes recognize and fuse to form a totipotent zygote to initiate the life of an organism. During this progress, dramatic changes happen including several molecular events: sperm acrosome reaction, polyspermy blocking of fertilized eggs, egg activation, protamine-to-histone transition of sperm head, chromatin reprogramming of early embryos, zygotic genome activation, maternal RNA/protein degradation, mid-preimplantation gene activation, the first cell fate decision, etc. To decipher these events, genetic and epigenetic strategies have been widely used to identify key regulators involved and underlying mechanisms.
This Research Topic aims at studies on fertilization and early development to identify new factors and novel mechanisms in this process, through genetic strategy or epigenetic examination. An in-depth understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying how gametes prepare themselves for fertilization, how gametes recognize, how totipotent embryos behave, and how cell lineages are formed will provide valuable information for the prevention, diagnosis, and intervention of reproductive diseases, and improvement of Assisted Reproductive Technology.
We welcome submissions of original research and reviews that cover, but are not limited to, the following research topics:
• Epigenetic regulation during the maternal-to-embryonic transition
• Genetic mutations dampening fertilization
• Regulation of chromatin status in early embryos
• Degradation of RNA/protein in early embryos
• Regulation of cell lineage formation
• Environmental impacts on fertilization and early development
Terminally differentiated gametes recognize and fuse to form a totipotent zygote to initiate the life of an organism. During this progress, dramatic changes happen including several molecular events: sperm acrosome reaction, polyspermy blocking of fertilized eggs, egg activation, protamine-to-histone transition of sperm head, chromatin reprogramming of early embryos, zygotic genome activation, maternal RNA/protein degradation, mid-preimplantation gene activation, the first cell fate decision, etc. To decipher these events, genetic and epigenetic strategies have been widely used to identify key regulators involved and underlying mechanisms.
This Research Topic aims at studies on fertilization and early development to identify new factors and novel mechanisms in this process, through genetic strategy or epigenetic examination. An in-depth understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying how gametes prepare themselves for fertilization, how gametes recognize, how totipotent embryos behave, and how cell lineages are formed will provide valuable information for the prevention, diagnosis, and intervention of reproductive diseases, and improvement of Assisted Reproductive Technology.
We welcome submissions of original research and reviews that cover, but are not limited to, the following research topics:
• Epigenetic regulation during the maternal-to-embryonic transition
• Genetic mutations dampening fertilization
• Regulation of chromatin status in early embryos
• Degradation of RNA/protein in early embryos
• Regulation of cell lineage formation
• Environmental impacts on fertilization and early development