EED is required for mouse primordial germ cell differentiation in the embryonic gonad
Journal
Developmental Cell
Journal Volume
57
Journal Issue
12
Start Page
1482
End Page
1495.e5
ISSN
1534-5807
Date Issued
2022-06
Author(s)
Lowe, Matthew G.
Yen, Ming-Ren
Hosohama, Linzi
Hu, Zhongxun
Chitiashvili, Tsotne
Hunt, Timothy J.
Gorgy, Isaac
Bernard, Matthew
Wamaitha, Sissy E.
Chen, Pao-Yang
Clark, Amander T.
Abstract
Development of primordial germ cells (PGCs) is required for reproduction. During PGC development in mammals, major epigenetic remodeling occurs, which is hypothesized to establish an epigenetic landscape for sex-specific germ cell differentiation and gametogenesis. In order to address the role of embryonic ectoderm development (EED) and histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) in this process, we created an EED conditional knockout mouse and show that EED is essential for regulating the timing of sex-specific PGC differentiation in both ovaries and testes, as well as X chromosome dosage decompensation in testes. Integrating chromatin and whole genome bisulfite sequencing of epiblast and PGCs, we identified a poised repressive signature of H3K27me3/DNA methylation that we propose is established in the epiblast where EED and DNMT1 interact. Thus, EED joins DNMT1 in regulating the timing of sex-specific PGC differentiation during the critical window when the gonadal niche cells specialize into an ovary or testis.
Subjects
DNMT1
EED
embryo
H3K27me3
meiosis
ovary development
PRC2
primordial germ cells
testis development
Publisher
Cell Press
Type
journal article