Characterization and comparative analyses of transcriptomes of cloned and in vivo fertilized porcine pre-implantation embryos

By using RNA-Seq technology, we get genome-wide transcriptome profiles of cloned and in vivo fertilized porcine embryos, from the oocyte to the blastocyst stages. We identified differentially expressed genes between the cloned and in vivo fertilized embryos from distinct stages of development and uncovered associated cellular signaling pathways and upstream transcription factors. Overall design: We get transcriptome of cloned and in vivo fertilized porcine embryos in seven consecutive points in time. Our findings provided a valuable resource for further discovery of the epigenetic reprogramming mechanisms in pig embryos.