A program of successive gene expression in mammalian one-cell embryos during the first cell cycle

In mamal, by fertilization, sperm and oocyte unite to produce a totipotent one0cell embryo. The gamete-derived genomes are known to be transciptionally silent unti the onset of embryonic genome activation (EGA). EGA is critical for development and establishment of totipotency, yet its timing and profile remain elusive in both human and mouse. We here employed high resolution single cell RNA-sequence on precisely synchronized mouse embyros and human healthy binucular (2PN) one-cell embryos. Results showed that programmed succession of gene expression during the first cell cycle (one- to two cell embryo development) and tis upstream regulators. Futrhermore, together with live-imaging analyses and immuocytochemistry, multiple aspects of results indicated a unique, non-canonical, features of the first embryonic cell division.