Current Advances in Epigenetic Modification and Alteration during Mammalian Ovarian Folliculogenesis  

作　　者：Zengxiang Pan Jinbi Zhang Qifa Li Yinxia Li Fangxiong Shi Zhuang Xie Honglin Liu 

机构地区：[1]Department of Animal Genetics,Breeding and Reproduction,College of Animal Science and Technology,Nanjing Agricultural University,Nanjing 210095,China

出　　处：《Journal of Genetics and Genomics》2012年第3期111-123,共13页遗传学报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (No.30901027);the National Key Scientific Program (No.2007CB947403);funded,in part,by the grants for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (No.20090097120043);the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.Y0201100257)

摘　　要：During the growth and development of mammalian ovarian follicles, the activation and deactivation of mass genes are under the synergistic control of diverse modifiers through genetic and epigenetic events. Many factors regulate gene activity and functions through epigenetic modification without altering the DNA sequence, and the common mechanisms may include but are not limited to： DNA methylation, histone modifications （e.g., acetylation, deacetylation, phosphorylation, methylation, and ubiquitination）, and RNA- associated silencing of gene expression by noncoding RNA. Over the past decade, substantial progress has been achieved in studies involving the epigenetic alterations during mammalian germ cell development. A number of candidate regulatory factors have been identified. This review focuses on the current available information of epigenetic alterations （e.g., DNA methylation, histone modification, noncoding-RNA-mediated regulation） during mammalian folliculogenesis and recounts when and how epigenetic patterns are differentially established, maintained, or altered in this process. Based on different types of epigenetic regulation, our review follows the temporal progression of events during ovarian folliculogenesis and describes the epigenetic changes and their contributions to germ cell-specific functions at each stage （i.e,, primordial folliculogenesis （follicle formation）, follicle maturation, and follicular atresia）.During the growth and development of mammalian ovarian follicles, the activation and deactivation of mass genes are under the synergistic control of diverse modifiers through genetic and epigenetic events. Many factors regulate gene activity and functions through epigenetic modification without altering the DNA sequence, and the common mechanisms may include but are not limited to： DNA methylation, histone modifications （e.g., acetylation, deacetylation, phosphorylation, methylation, and ubiquitination）, and RNA- associated silencing of gene expression by noncoding RNA. Over the past decade, substantial progress has been achieved in studies involving the epigenetic alterations during mammalian germ cell development. A number of candidate regulatory factors have been identified. This review focuses on the current available information of epigenetic alterations （e.g., DNA methylation, histone modification, noncoding-RNA-mediated regulation） during mammalian folliculogenesis and recounts when and how epigenetic patterns are differentially established, maintained, or altered in this process. Based on different types of epigenetic regulation, our review follows the temporal progression of events during ovarian folliculogenesis and describes the epigenetic changes and their contributions to germ cell-specific functions at each stage （i.e,, primordial folliculogenesis （follicle formation）, follicle maturation, and follicular atresia）.

关 键 词：EPIGENETICS DNA methylation Histone modification Noncoding RNAs OVARY FOLLICULOGENESIS 

分 类 号：Q959.8[生物学—动物学] S823.3[农业科学—畜牧学]