Description:

The Simpson Querrey Center for Epigenetics presents:

Yi Zhang, PhD
Fred Rosen Professor, Department of Genetics & Pediatrics, HMS & BCH
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Lecture Title: Mechanism and Function of a New Genomic Imprinting in Development & SCNT Reprogramming

Abstract: Mammalian sperm and oocytes have different epigenetic landscapes and are organized in different fashion. Following fertilization, the initially distinct parental epigenomes become largely equalized with the exception of certain loci including imprinting control regions (ICRs). How parental chromatin becomes equalized and how ICRs escape from this reprogramming is largely unknown. Based on allelic chromatin accessibility and gene expression analyses, we identified a DNA methylation-independent, H3K27me3-depdendent imprinting mechanism. We demonstrate that H3K27me3-mediated genomic imprinting plays an important role in imprinted X-chromosome inactivation, placenta development, and somatic cell nuclear transfer reprogramming.