Genetics of Embryo Development and Reproduction Research

Dear Colleagues,

The fertilization of oocyte and sperm to produce a new organism is the culmination of numerous intricately regulated cellular processes. After fertilization, gametes develop from a highly differentiated state to a pluripotent state, and then they undergo early embryogenesis, which is considered to be one of the most crucial lifespan phases. During this process, paternal and maternal chromatin structures and genomes undergo dramatic changes, with the latter experiencing genome-wide epigenetic modifications or reprogramming. The transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome of the early embryo also exhibit significant transformations, all of which can regulate the events of embryonic development and even the entire lifespan of offspring.

Until now, several important theories and mechanisms concerning the regulation of early animal embryogenesis have been elucidated, triggering the emergence of important technologies such as assisted reproduction, animal breeding, the creation of gene-editing animals, and so on. However, the early embryonic development process is complex, and its mechanisms are not fully understood.

This Special Issue will focus on valuable findings associated with the genetic programs of early animal embryogenesis by utilizing new research in this area.  

Prof. Dr. Enqi Liu
Guest Editor

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• animal
• embryogenesis
• fertilization
• zygotic genome activation
• reprogramming
• chromatin structure
• epigenetics