The initiation of mammalian embryonic transcription: to begin at the beginning

Anthony C F Perry; Maki Asami; Brian Y H Lam; Giles S H Yeo

doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2022.08.008

The initiation of mammalian embryonic transcription: to begin at the beginning

Anthony C F Perry, Maki Asami, Brian Y H Lam, Giles S H Yeo

Department of Life Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

21 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Gamete (sperm and oocyte) genomes are transcriptionally silent until embryonic genome activation (EGA) following fertilization. EGA in humans had been thought to occur around the eight-cell stage, but recent findings suggest that it is triggered in one-cell embryos, by fertilization. Phosphorylation and other post-translational modifications during fertilization may instate transcriptionally favorable chromatin and activate oocyte-derived transcription factors (TFs) to initiate EGA. Expressed genes lay on cancer-associated pathways and their identities predict upregulation by MYC and other cancer-associated TFs. One interpretation of this is that the onset of EGA, and the somatic cell trajectory to cancer, are mechanistically related: cancer initiates epigenetically. We describe how fertilization might be linked to the initiation of EGA and involve distinctive processes recapitulated in cancer.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	365-373
Journal	Trends in Cell Biology
Volume	33
Issue number	5
Early online date	29 Sept 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2022.08.008
Publication status	Published - 31 May 2023

Bibliographical note

BBSRC BB/P009506/1 MRC MR/N000080/1, MR/N020294/1, MR/W024845/1

Funding Information:
We are grateful to Professor Cheryll Tickle for commenting on the manuscript. A.C.F.P. is supported by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ( BB/P009506/1 ) and Medical Research Council ( MR/N000080/1 , MR/N020294/1, and MR/W024845/1 ).

Funding

We are grateful to Professor Cheryll Tickle for commenting on the manuscript. A.C.F.P. is supported by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ( BB/P009506/1 ) and Medical Research Council ( MR/N000080/1 , MR/N020294/1, and MR/W024845/1 ).

Keywords

embryonic genome activation (EGA)
fertilization
initiation of cancer
totipotency
transcription factor (TF)
zygote

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cell Biology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.tcb.2022.08.008Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "The initiation of mammalian embryonic transcription: to begin at the beginning",

abstract = "Gamete (sperm and oocyte) genomes are transcriptionally silent until embryonic genome activation (EGA) following fertilization. EGA in humans had been thought to occur around the eight-cell stage, but recent findings suggest that it is triggered in one-cell embryos, by fertilization. Phosphorylation and other post-translational modifications during fertilization may instate transcriptionally favorable chromatin and activate oocyte-derived transcription factors (TFs) to initiate EGA. Expressed genes lay on cancer-associated pathways and their identities predict upregulation by MYC and other cancer-associated TFs. One interpretation of this is that the onset of EGA, and the somatic cell trajectory to cancer, are mechanistically related: cancer initiates epigenetically. We describe how fertilization might be linked to the initiation of EGA and involve distinctive processes recapitulated in cancer.",

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author = "Perry, \{Anthony C F\} and Maki Asami and Lam, \{Brian Y H\} and Yeo, \{Giles S H\}",

note = "BBSRC BB/P009506/1 MRC MR/N000080/1, MR/N020294/1, MR/W024845/1 Funding Information: We are grateful to Professor Cheryll Tickle for commenting on the manuscript. A.C.F.P. is supported by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ( BB/P009506/1 ) and Medical Research Council ( MR/N000080/1 , MR/N020294/1, and MR/W024845/1 ). ",

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T2 - to begin at the beginning

AU - Perry, Anthony C F

AU - Asami, Maki

AU - Lam, Brian Y H

AU - Yeo, Giles S H

N1 - BBSRC BB/P009506/1 MRC MR/N000080/1, MR/N020294/1, MR/W024845/1 Funding Information: We are grateful to Professor Cheryll Tickle for commenting on the manuscript. A.C.F.P. is supported by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council ( BB/P009506/1 ) and Medical Research Council ( MR/N000080/1 , MR/N020294/1, and MR/W024845/1 ).

PY - 2023/5/31

Y1 - 2023/5/31

N2 - Gamete (sperm and oocyte) genomes are transcriptionally silent until embryonic genome activation (EGA) following fertilization. EGA in humans had been thought to occur around the eight-cell stage, but recent findings suggest that it is triggered in one-cell embryos, by fertilization. Phosphorylation and other post-translational modifications during fertilization may instate transcriptionally favorable chromatin and activate oocyte-derived transcription factors (TFs) to initiate EGA. Expressed genes lay on cancer-associated pathways and their identities predict upregulation by MYC and other cancer-associated TFs. One interpretation of this is that the onset of EGA, and the somatic cell trajectory to cancer, are mechanistically related: cancer initiates epigenetically. We describe how fertilization might be linked to the initiation of EGA and involve distinctive processes recapitulated in cancer.

AB - Gamete (sperm and oocyte) genomes are transcriptionally silent until embryonic genome activation (EGA) following fertilization. EGA in humans had been thought to occur around the eight-cell stage, but recent findings suggest that it is triggered in one-cell embryos, by fertilization. Phosphorylation and other post-translational modifications during fertilization may instate transcriptionally favorable chromatin and activate oocyte-derived transcription factors (TFs) to initiate EGA. Expressed genes lay on cancer-associated pathways and their identities predict upregulation by MYC and other cancer-associated TFs. One interpretation of this is that the onset of EGA, and the somatic cell trajectory to cancer, are mechanistically related: cancer initiates epigenetically. We describe how fertilization might be linked to the initiation of EGA and involve distinctive processes recapitulated in cancer.

KW - embryonic genome activation (EGA)

KW - fertilization

KW - initiation of cancer

KW - totipotency

KW - transcription factor (TF)

KW - zygote

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85139050037

U2 - 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.08.008

DO - 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.08.008

M3 - Review article

C2 - 36182534

SN - 0962-8924

VL - 33

SP - 365

EP - 373

JO - Trends in Cell Biology

JF - Trends in Cell Biology

IS - 5

ER -

The initiation of mammalian embryonic transcription: to begin at the beginning

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

New perspectives on imprinting disease

Switchable Gene Drives

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Cite this

The initiation of mammalian embryonic transcription: to begin at the beginning

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

New perspectives on imprinting disease

Switchable Gene Drives

Novel Homology-Directed Gene Targeting to Enhance Biomedical Modelling

Cite this