Reproduction最新文献

{"title":"Gene expression profile analysis of subregions of the adult female reproductive tract in the brown anole, Anolis sagrei.","authors":"Bonnie K Kircher, Bin Liu, Matthew D Bramble, Malcolm M Moses, Richard R Behringer","doi":"10.1530/REP-24-0062","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-24-0062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>Modes of reproduction across limbed vertebrates are diverse, but the molecular mechanisms required for the development and maintenance of reproductive tract tissue architecture are poorly understood. This paper describes gene expression changes across the regions of the reproductive tract of the adult female brown anole, Anolis sagrei.</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>The morphological diversity and functional role of the organs of the female reproductive system across tetrapods (limbed vertebrates) are relatively poorly understood. Although some features are morphologically similar, species-specific modification makes comparisons between species and inference about evolutionary origins challenging. In combination with the study of morphological changes, studying differences in gene expression in the adult reproductive system in diverse species can clarify the function of each organ. Here, we use the brown anole, Anolis sagrei, to study gene expression differences within the reproductive tract of the adult female. We generated gene expression profiles of four biological replicates of the three regions of the female reproductive tract, the infundibulum, glandular uterus, and nonglandular uterus, by RNA-sequencing. We aligned reads to the recently published A. sagrei genome and identified significantly differentially expressed genes between the regions using DESeq2. Each organ expressed approximately 14,600 genes, and comparison of gene expression profiles between organs revealed between 367 and 883 differentially expressed genes. We identify shared and region-specific transcriptional signatures for the three regions and compare gene expression in the brown anole reproductive tract to known gene expression patterns in other tetrapods. We find that genes in the Hox cluster have an anterior-posterior, collinear expression pattern as has been described in mammals. We also define a secretome for the glandular uterus. These data provide fundamental information for functional studies of the reproductive tract organs in the brown anole and an important phylogenetic anchor for comparative studies of the evolution of the female reproductive tract.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11967281/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142676751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ovine conceptuses express phospholipase inhibitory genes on days 14-15 of pregnancy, interacting with IFNT pathways.","authors":"Yuta Matsuno, Kazuya Kusama, Koji Kimura, Kazuhiko Imakawa","doi":"10.1530/REP-24-0286","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-24-0286","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>Ovine conceptuses highly express phospholipase inhibitory genes just before the conceptus attachment period. Phospholipase inhibitors could synergistically work with the interferon pathway on the endometrium.</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>In mammals, various molecules are involved in the biochemical interaction between the conceptus and endometrium for pregnancy recognition and establishment. In ruminants, interferon tau (IFNT) is the pregnancy recognition factor; however, IFNT alone does not explain corpus luteum maintenance. Although data on factors expressed during implantation have been accumulated, we hypothesized that the conceptus produces additional uncharacterized molecules during the period of conceptus attachment. This study aimed to identify new conceptus secretory proteins involved in the biochemical interaction between the conceptus and endometrium in sheep. We analyzed RNA-sequence data of ovine conceptuses from pregnant animals on days 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20 and 21. To identify novel secretory proteins, we focused on highly expressed but uncharacterized genes and performed in silico protein function analysis, identifying genes encoding phospholipase inhibitory proteins expressed on days 14 and 15. Recombinant proteins from these genes were produced, and the effects on cultured bovine endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) and stromal cells (STRs) were analyzed by RNA-sequence analysis. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis demonstrated that the recombinant protein treatment upregulated 31 genes and downregulated 4 genes in EECs; it also upregulated 398 genes and downregulated 66 genes in STRs, including implantation-related genes, such as ISG15, OAS1X, OAS1Y, PARP9, PARP14, MX1 and PTGS2. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were enriched in several implantation-related pathways, including ISG15 antivirus mechanisms. These results suggest that, in addition to numerous characterized molecules, phospholipase inhibitory protein is a new candidate molecule in enabling biochemical communication between the conceptus and endometrium.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11935640/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142740379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"IMPACT OF REAL-LIFE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES ON REPRODUCTION: Phthalates disrupt female reproductive health: a call for enhanced investigation into mixtures.","authors":"Katie L Land, Sundus M Ghuneim, Brittney A Williams, Patrick R Hannon","doi":"10.1530/REP-24-0117","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-24-0117","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>Exposure to phthalates, known endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), is ubiquitous, but the effects on women's reproductive health are largely unknown. This review summarizes the literature investigating associations between phthalate exposures and clinical reproductive outcomes and reproductive disease states in women, and it emphasizes the need to investigate the effects of phthalate mixtures on women's reproductive health.</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Daily exposure to a mixture of phthalates is unavoidable in humans and poses a risk to reproductive health because they are known EDCs. Specific to female reproductive health, the literature has linked phthalate exposure to impairments in ovarian function, uterine function, pregnancy outcomes and endocrine signaling in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. However, limitations of these studies are that they primarily focus on single-phthalate exposures in animal models. Thus, the effects of real-life exposures to mixtures of phthalates and the clinical and translational impacts on reproductive function in women are largely unknown. This review summarizes the recent literature specifically investigating associations between phthalate mixture exposures and clinical reproductive outcomes and reproductive disease states in women. Because these studies are scarce, they are supplemented with the literature utilizing single-phthalate analyses in women and mechanistic basic science studies using phthalate mixture exposures. Main findings from the literature suggest that elevated phthalate exposure is associated with altered menstrual cyclicity, altered pubertal timing, disrupted ovarian folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis, ovarian disorders including primary ovarian insufficiency and polycystic ovary syndrome, uterine disorders including endometriosis and leiomyomas, poor in vitro fertilization outcomes and poor pregnancy outcomes. There is an urgent need to better incorporate phthalate mixtures in epidemiology (mixture analyses) and basic science (direct exposures) study designs. Furthermore, as exposure to multiple phthalates is ubiquitous, elucidating the mechanism of phthalate mixture toxicities is paramount for improving women's reproductive health.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11969576/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142648958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"YAP1 and WWTR1 are required for murine pregnancy initiation.","authors":"Genna E Moldovan, Noura Massri, Erin L Vegter, Ivonne N Pauneto-Delgado, Gregory W Burns, Niraj Joshi, Bin Gu, Ripla Arora, Asgerally T Fazleabas","doi":"10.1530/REP-24-0355","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-24-0355","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>The HIPPO signaling effectors YAP1 and WWTR1 are required for murine pregnancy initiation, and mutation of these factors compromises the decidualization response and overall pregnancy success.</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Endometrial stromal cell decidualization is required for pregnancy success. Although this process is integral to fertility, many of the intricate molecular mechanisms contributing to decidualization remain undefined. One pathway that has been implicated in endometrial stromal cell decidualization in humans in vitro is the HIPPO signaling pathway. Two previously conducted studies showed that the effectors of the HIPPO signaling pathway YAP1 and WWTR1 are required for decidualization of primary endometrial stromal cells in vitro. To investigate the in vivo role of YAP1 and WWTR1 in decidualization and pregnancy initiation, we generated progesterone receptor Cre-mediated mutation of a combination of Yap1 and Wwtr1 alleles. Female Yap1 and Wwtr1 triple allele mutants exhibited subfertility, a compromised decidualization response, decreased endometrial receptivity, delayed embryonic development and a unique transcriptional profile at 7.5 days post-coitus (dpc). Bulk mRNA sequencing revealed aberrant maternal remodeling evidenced by significant alterations in extracellular matrix-encoding genes at 7.5 dpc in mutant dams and enrichment for terms associated with fertility-compromising diseases such as pre-eclampsia and endometriosis. In addition, differentially expressed genes overlapped directionally with estrogen receptor- and epidermal growth factor receptor-regulated genes as identified by microarray. Our results indicate that Yap1 and Wwtr1 are necessary for successful mammalian pregnancy initiation.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11874952/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142584242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"IMPACT OF REAL-LIFE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPROSURES ON REPRODUCTION: Adverse impacts of particulate matter air pollution on female and male reproduction.","authors":"Ulrike Luderer","doi":"10.1530/REP-24-0194","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-24-0194","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>Particulate matter (PM) air pollution contains many chemicals that are individually known to have adverse effects on reproduction, as well as numerous others that have not been investigated for effects on reproduction. This review discusses the scientific literature investigating the effects of ambient and experimentally generated PM mixtures on reproduction.</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>PM air pollution consists of liquid and solid particles, which are categorized by size as less than 10 (PM10) μm, 2.5 (PM2.5) μm, or 0.1 μm (PM0.1 or ultrafine) in aerodynamic diameter and which vary in composition depending on the sources. PM exposure is ubiquitous and has been associated with many adverse health effects. This narrative review focuses on epidemiological and experimental studies that investigated the effects of PM exposure on female and male reproduction and on pregnancy.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142506923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"IMPACT OF REAL-LIFE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES ON REPRODUCTION: Impact of human-relevant doses of endocrine-disrupting chemical and drug mixtures on testis development and function.","authors":"Nicole Mohajer, Martine Culty","doi":"10.1530/REP-24-0155","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-24-0155","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>Toxicological studies better resembling human exposures are needed to improve risk assessment. This review presents studies examining the impact of low-dose exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) mixtures, some combined with pharmaceuticals, on male reproduction in animal models and humans.</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Exposure to EDCs and pharmaceuticals during development has been linked to reproductive dysfunction, reduced semen quality, and infertility. Research indicates that EDC mixtures, which are common in the modern environment, can pose significant risks that may not be fully assessed by studying individual compound toxicity, especially at environmentally relevant doses or concentrations. Understanding the contribution of chemical mixtures to male reproductive toxicity is crucial, given the increasing reliance on pharmaceuticals and pervasiveness of anthropogenic pollution. Recent studies on EDC effects have expanded to a more diverse range of microplastics, pesticides, antimicrobials, phytoestrogens, and pharmaceuticals, such as analgesics, which can collectively impact testicular function and fertility. Adverse outcomes observed across studies include reproductive tract malformations, decreased sperm count and motility, lowered testosterone, delayed-onset puberty, and possible causal effects, such as oxidative stress and altered gene expression. Still, limited data exist on combinations of environmental pollutants and pharmaceuticals with ED potential at human-relevant doses. This review of the recent literature aims to synthesize the toxicological impact of low-dose chemical mixtures on male reproductive health. Overall, humans are exposed to EDCs and drugs through various ways, necessitating an understanding of their concomitant effects on male reproductive health.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142506927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An attempt to search for the common cellular mechanism of ovulation across all metazoans.","authors":"Takayuki Takahashi, Katsueki Ogiwara","doi":"10.1530/REP-24-0184","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-24-0184","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>Ovulation, the female reproductive process whereby fertilizable oocytes are released from a mature ovarian follicle, is widely seen in all animals that sexually reproduce. This paper reveals that, despite the remarkably diverse styles of ovulation among animal taxa, most ovulate via follicle rupture and suggests that the rupture process may operate via similar cellular mechanisms across animals.</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Ovulation is the process by which a fertilizable oocyte is extruded from the interior of the follicle. Herein, we conducted a literature survey to explore the ovulation patterns of 11 sexually reproducing species belonging to 10 animal phyla. These results indicate a large variety of ovulation patterns. Further comparative biological and evolutionary considerations of these results led us to conclude that most female animals ovulate via follicle rupture. We propose that in all animals that ovulate by follicle rupture, two cellular events may be critically involved in the process: i) the disintegration of cell junctional systems leading to intracellular cytoskeleton rearrangement in the follicle cells and ii) the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins filled between follicle cells. These events may result in follicular cell deformation and increased motility, both of which are necessary for the formation of a path through which an oocyte escapes from the follicle. In addition to the requirement of ECM degradation for disintegrating cell junctions, intensive ECM protein degradation at the apical region of the follicle probably became increasingly important in late-evolving animals, such as vertebrates, in which a thick follicle wall containing a large abundance of ECM proteins is formed. We also considered hypothetical scenarios for the evolution of ovulation in these animals. Furthermore, this article discusses future problems that need to be solved for a more comprehensive understanding of ovulation in the animal kingdom.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142506924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early ovarian differentiation in the tammar wallaby and the effects of exposure to bisphenol A.","authors":"Mario T Peiris, Yu Chen, Geoff Shaw, Marilyn B Renfree","doi":"10.1530/REP-24-0259","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-24-0259","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>Ovarian differentiation in tammar wallabies begins after birth, allowing direct experimental manipulation during the period of differentiation. Using this unique model, we demonstrate that the environmental endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) interferes with normal morphological development and gene expression in the developing ovary.</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>BPA, an environmental endocrine disruptor, is used widely in the manufacturing of various plastics. While BPA can have detrimental effects on fertility and reproductive health, the effects of BPA on early ovarian differentiation in mammals remain unclear. Marsupials have undifferentiated gonads at birth, so this study investigated the gross morphology, protein localisation of FOXL2 and FST and the expression profile of key ovarian differentiating genes FOXL2, WNT4, FST, ESR1 and ESR2 every 2 days from the day of birth to day 10 postpartum (pp) in the marsupial tammar wallaby. A second group of newborn female pouch young were treated with 50 μg/kg of BPA daily from day 0 to day 10 pp, and the morphology and gene expression were examined at day 10 pp. Ovigerous cords in tammar ovaries were first formed between day 2 and day 4 pp. FOXL2 localisation became nuclear by day 4 in pre-granulosa cells. FST was initially in the cytoplasm of pre-granulosa cells at day 2 pp but was then secreted into the extracellular matrix in ovaries by day 10 pp. FOXL2, FST, ESR1 and ESR2 mRNA were upregulated in ovaries around day 2-4 pp, indicating that ovarian differentiation in the tammar begins from day 2 to day 4 pp. Interestingly, BPA treatment from day 0 to day 10 pp blocked the morphological differentiation of the cortex and medulla and ovigerous cord formation and downregulated the expression of FST and FOXL2 at day 10 pp.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142682655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decreased miR-486-5p is involved in lipopolysaccharide-induced HTR-8/SVneo cell dysfunction by promoting SMAD2 expression.","authors":"Yan Gu, Ling-Han Chen, Long Yang, Yan Shi, Hao-Lan Xu, Ya-Wei Xin, Ning Song, Wen-Wen Gu, Jian Wang","doi":"10.1530/REP-23-0502","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-23-0502","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>Insufficiency of extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cell invasion is implicated in pregnancy complications. This study reveals the roles of the miR-486-5p/Smad2 pathway in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced EVT dysfunctions and in the pathogenesis of early pregnancy loss (EPL).</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Placenta-associated pathologies, including EPL and preeclampsia, are characterized by insufficient EVT invasion. Previously, downregulated miR-486-5p expression was shown to inhibit the invasion of EVTs, and decreased peripheral miR-486-5p expression was associated with EPL. However, the exact roles of miR-486-5p in the pathogenesis of EPL, as well as the molecular pathway underlying the role of miR-486-5p in EVT invasion, remain poorly understood. In this study, decreased miR-486-5p expression in the uterine embryo implantation site on gestational day 8.5 and increased uterine expression of Smad2, a target of miR-486-5p, were observed in an LPS-induced EPL model. The invasion and viability of the immortalized human EVT line, HTR-8/SVneo, were inhibited by LPS, accompanied by reduced miR-486-5p expression. LPS promoted Smad2 expression, which was attenuated by the miR-486-5p mimics. The downregulation of Smad2 effectively restored the impaired invasion and viability of HTR-8/SVneo cells caused by LPS or the miR-486-5p inhibitor. Furthermore, LPS promoted TNFα production in HTR-8/SVneo cells, whereas both siSMAD2 and miR-486-5p mimics reversed this effect. An analysis of human decidua single-cell RNA sequencing and transcriptome datasets derived from Gene Expression Omnibus revealed that, compared with that in control early pregnant women, SMAD2 expression was significantly increased in recurrent miscarriage patients. Collectively, these data suggest that decreased miR-486-5p expression might lead to EPL, at least partially by inhibiting invasion and/or promoting TNFα production in EVTs by targeting SMAD2.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142547040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide profiling of the epigenetic landscape of histone variant TH2B in murine oocytes and pre-implantation embryos.","authors":"Isha Singh, Priyanka Parte","doi":"10.1530/REP-24-0035","DOIUrl":"10.1530/REP-24-0035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>In brief: </strong>This study investigates the role of TH2B in pre-implantation embryos and found that TH2B deposition varies between gametes but rapidly redistributes in two-cell embryos after fertilization. Our ultra-low-input native chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing (ULI-NChIP-seq) revealed that TH2B is enriched in early chromatin but decreases after the two-cell stage, with strong correlations to key regulatory regions, histone modifications and transposable elements (TEs), indicating its critical role in zygotic genome activation and early developmental processes.</p><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>The histone variant TH2B, enriched in oocytes, sperm and early embryos, decreases as embryos differentiate into pre-gastrula stages. Despite its presence, the role of TH2B in epigenetic reprogramming during early embryonic development remains largely under-researched. Our study employed ULI-NChIP-seq to analyze the genome-wide distribution of TH2B in metaphase II (MII) oocytes and early embryos. We found that TH2B is enriched in the chromatin of oocytes and two-cell stage embryos but becomes less prevalent after the two-cell stage. Correlation analysis revealed that the TH2B chromatin patterns in sperm and pre-implantation embryos are more similar to each other than to those in MII oocytes. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of TH2B-occupied loci linked them to various developmental processes including oogenesis, fertilization, chromatin modification and transcription regulation. The study also identified a strong association of TH2B with specific TEs, particularly long terminal repeats, which are known to regulate pre-implantation development. Additionally, early embryos showed H3K9me3 marks at TH2B-bound loci. TH2B exhibited strong correlations with H2A.Z and H3.3 in the two-cell and eight-cell stages, a positive association with H3K27Ac and H3K4me3 and a negative correlation with H3K27me3. Allelic reprogramming analysis of TH2B in embryos from C57BL/6J and DBA/2J crosses revealed differential dynamics between maternal and paternal alleles, with a notable paternal bias at the promoter in two-cell embryos. Thus, TH2B's enrichment in early embryonic stages and its association with key regulatory regions and histone modifications underscore its importance in zygotic genome activation and subsequent developmental processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":21127,"journal":{"name":"Reproduction","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142506926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}