Transcriptome analysis of rhesus monkey embryos

The goal of this study was to discover the underlying mechanisms that drive major changes in gene regulation during preimplantation development in the rhesus monkey. RNAseq data were collected from preimplantation stages (8-cell, morula, blastocyst), and used in conjunction with data from metaphase II stage oocytes to characterize individual gene expression profiles during preimplantation development, identify major groups of co-regulated genes, and identify likely upstream factors driving that gene regulation. Embryos were cultured following in vitro fertilization as described and lysed for analysis at specific stages. Transcriptomes of rhesus monkey MII oocytes, and 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst embryos were compared using RNAseq.