Dynamics of 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine during germ cell reprogramming

Dynamics of 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine during germ cell

reprogramming

Shinpei Yamaguchi;Kwonho Hong;Rui Liu;Azusa Inoue;Li Shen;Kun Zhang;Yi Zhang

【期刊名称】《细胞研究（英文版）》 【年(卷),期】2013(023)003

【摘要】Previous studies have revealed that mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs) undergo genome-wide DNA methylation reprogramming to reset

the

epigenome

for

totipotency.However,the

precise

5-

methylcytosine (5mC) dynamics and its relationship with the generation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) are not clear.Here we analyzed the dynamics of 5mC and 5hmC during PGC reprograming and germ cell development.Unexpectedly,we found a specific period (E8.5-9.5) during which both 5mC and 5hmC levels are low.Subsequently,5hmC levels increase reaching its peak at E11.5 and gradually decrease until E13.5 likely by replication-dependent dilution.Interestingly,5hmC is enriched in chromocenters during this period.While this germ cell-specific 5hmC subnuclear localization pattern is maintained in female germ cells even in mature oocytes,such pattern is gradually lost in male germ cells as mitotic proliferation resumes during the neonatal stage.Pericentric 5hmC plays an important role in silencing major satellite repeat,especially in female PGCs.Global transcriptome analysis by RNA-