Erasure of DNA methylation in rat fetal germ cells is sex-specific and sensitive to maternal high-fat diet.

To test the impact of a maternal HFD on embryonic germline DNA methylation erasure, we use a rat strain that expresses green fluorescent protein specifically in germ cells. Germ cells were collected by FACS from male and female F1 gonads at midgestation for DNA methylation analysis by methyl-seq capture.为探究母源高脂饮食（High Fat Diet, HFD）对胚胎生殖系DNA甲基化清除过程的影响，本研究选用一种可在生殖细胞中特异性表达绿色荧光蛋白（green fluorescent protein, GFP）的大鼠品系。研究人员于妊娠中期通过荧光激活细胞分选（Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting, FACS）从F1代雌雄性腺中收集生殖细胞，并采用甲基化测序捕获（methyl-seq capture）技术进行DNA甲基化分析。