DPPA2 and DPPA4 are dispensable for mouse zygotic genome activation and preimplantation development. DPPA2 and DPPA4 are dispensable for mouse zygotic genome activation and preimplantation development

How maternal factors in oocytes initiate zygotic genome activation (ZGA) remains elusive. Recent studies indicate that DPPA2 and DPPA4 are required for establishing a 2-cell embryo-like (2C-like) state in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in a DUX-dependent manner. These results suggest that DPPA2 and DPPA4 are essential maternal factors that regulate Dux and ZGA in embryos. By analyzing maternal knockout and maternal-zygotic knockout embryos, we unexpectedly found that Dux activation, ZGA, and preimplantation development are normal in embryos without DPPA2 or DPPA4. Thus, unlike in ESCs/2C-like cells, DPPA2 and DPPA4 are dispensable for ZGA and preimplantation development. Overall design: Comparion of WT and mutant Dppa2/4 1-cell and 2-cell embryo transcriptome

卵母细胞中的母源因子如何启动合子基因组激活（ZGA），这一问题迄今尚未阐明。近期研究显示，在小鼠胚胎干细胞（ESCs）中，DPPA2与DPPA4需通过DUX依赖的途径，才能建立2细胞胚胎样（2C-like）状态。上述结果提示，DPPA2与DPPA4是调控胚胎内Dux表达与合子基因组激活（ZGA）的关键母源因子。本研究通过分析母源敲除及母源-合子双敲除胚胎，意外发现缺失DPPA2或DPPA4的胚胎中，Dux激活、合子基因组激活（ZGA）以及植入前发育均无异常。由此可见，与胚胎干细胞/2细胞胚胎样细胞中的情况不同，DPPA2与DPPA4对于合子基因组激活（ZGA）与植入前发育并非必需。实验整体设计：对野生型（WT）与Dppa2/4突变体的1细胞及2细胞胚胎开展转录组比较分析。