Highlights•Cellular models can recapitulate some aspects of embryonic genome
activation.•Multiple factors regulate embryonic genome activation.•Several types of totipotent …

In sexually reproducing organisms, life begins with the fusion of transcriptionally silent
gametes, the oocyte and sperm. Although initiation of transcription in the embryo, known as …

A fertilized egg is initially transcriptionally silent and relies on maternally provided factors to
initiate development. For embryonic development to proceed, the oocyte-inherited …

The activation of the zygotic genome constitutes an essential process during early
embryogenesis that determines the overall progression of embryonic development. Zygotic …

The embryonic transcription factor DUX regulates chromatin opening and gene expression
in totipotent cleavage-stage mouse embryos, and its expression in embryonic stem cells …

The totipotent one-cell embryo, or zygote, gives rise to all germ layers and extraembryonic
tissues that culminate in the development of a new organism. A zygote is produced at …

In a recent publication in Cell, Li et al. reported that inhibiting the spliceosome in human
pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can induce a stable totipotent state. 1 This study signifies the …

A developmental exit from totipotency | Nature Reviews Genetics Skip to main content Thank
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In mammals, fertilization is followed by extensive reprogramming and reorganization of the
chromatin accompanying the transcriptional activation of the embryo. This reprogramming …

Totipotency is the ability of a single cell to develop into a full organism and, in mammals, is
strictly associated with the early stages of development following fertilization. This unlimited …