Sex-specific dynamics of global chromatin changes in fetal mouse germ cells. 2011

Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, California, United States of America.

Mammalian germ cells undergo global reprogramming of DNA methylation during their development. Global DNA demethylation occurs around the time when the primordial germ cells colonize the embryonic gonads and this coincides with dynamic changes in chromatin composition. Global de novo DNA methylation takes place with remarkably different dynamics between the two sexes, prospermatogonia attaining methylation during fetal stages and oocytes attaining methylation postnatally. Our hypothesis was that dynamic changes in chromatin composition may precede or accompany the wave of global DNA de novo methylation as well. We used immunocytochemistry to measure global DNA methylation and chromatin components in male and female mouse fetal germ cells compared to control somatic cells of the gonad. We found that global DNA methylation levels sharply increased in male germ cells at 17.5 days post coitum, but remained low in female germ cells at all fetal stages. Global changes in chromatin composition: i, preceded global DNA methylation in fetal germ cells; ii, sex specifically occurred in male but not in female germ cells; iii, affected active and repressive histone marks and iv, included histone tail and histone globular domain modifications. Our data suggest that dynamic changes of chromatin composition may provide a framework for the pattern of male-specific de novo DNA methylation in prospermatogonia.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007150 Immunohistochemistry Histochemical localization of immunoreactive substances using labeled antibodies as reagents. Immunocytochemistry,Immunogold Techniques,Immunogold-Silver Techniques,Immunohistocytochemistry,Immunolabeling Techniques,Immunogold Technics,Immunogold-Silver Technics,Immunolabeling Technics,Immunogold Silver Technics,Immunogold Silver Techniques,Immunogold Technic,Immunogold Technique,Immunogold-Silver Technic,Immunogold-Silver Technique,Immunolabeling Technic,Immunolabeling Technique,Technic, Immunogold,Technic, Immunogold-Silver,Technic, Immunolabeling,Technics, Immunogold,Technics, Immunogold-Silver,Technics, Immunolabeling,Technique, Immunogold,Technique, Immunogold-Silver,Technique, Immunolabeling,Techniques, Immunogold,Techniques, Immunogold-Silver,Techniques, Immunolabeling
D008297 Male Males
D002843 Chromatin The material of CHROMOSOMES. It is a complex of DNA; HISTONES; and nonhistone proteins (CHROMOSOMAL PROTEINS, NON-HISTONE) found within the nucleus of a cell. Chromatins
D004622 Embryo, Mammalian The entity of a developing mammal (MAMMALS), generally from the cleavage of a ZYGOTE to the end of embryonic differentiation of basic structures. For the human embryo, this represents the first two months of intrauterine development preceding the stages of the FETUS. Embryonic Structures, Mammalian,Mammalian Embryo,Mammalian Embryo Structures,Mammalian Embryonic Structures,Embryo Structure, Mammalian,Embryo Structures, Mammalian,Embryonic Structure, Mammalian,Embryos, Mammalian,Mammalian Embryo Structure,Mammalian Embryonic Structure,Mammalian Embryos,Structure, Mammalian Embryo,Structure, Mammalian Embryonic,Structures, Mammalian Embryo,Structures, Mammalian Embryonic
D005260 Female Females
D005854 Germ Cells The reproductive cells in multicellular organisms at various stages during GAMETOGENESIS. Gamete,Gametes,Germ-Line Cells,Germ Line,Cell, Germ,Cell, Germ-Line,Cells, Germ,Cells, Germ-Line,Germ Cell,Germ Line Cells,Germ Lines,Germ-Line Cell
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012737 Sex Factors Maleness or femaleness as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from SEX CHARACTERISTICS, anatomical or physiological manifestations of sex, and from SEX DISTRIBUTION, the number of males and females in given circumstances. Factor, Sex,Factors, Sex,Sex Factor
D013091 Spermatogenesis The process of germ cell development in the male from the primordial germ cells, through SPERMATOGONIA; SPERMATOCYTES; SPERMATIDS; to the mature haploid SPERMATOZOA. Spermatocytogenesis,Spermiogenesis
D051379 Mice The common name for the genus Mus. Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus

Related Publications

Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
April 2019, Epigenomics,
Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
October 2007, Biology of reproduction,
Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
December 2021, Nature,
Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
February 2007, Human reproduction (Oxford, England),
Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
February 2017, Cell research,
Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
May 2021, Cells,
Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
April 2008, Nature,
Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
May 2015, Cell stem cell,
Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
March 1993, Biology of reproduction,
Masanobu Abe, and Shirley Y Tsai, and Seung-Gi Jin, and Gerd P Pfeifer, and Piroska E Szabó
March 1998, Tanpakushitsu kakusan koso. Protein, nucleic acid, enzyme,
Copied contents to your clipboard!