Nuclear architecture, epigenetic status of chromatin and DNA repair in mammalian IVF and NT preimplantation embryos studied on three dimensions by light optical nanoscopy and electron microscopy

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Since the highest cloning efficiency among all mammalian species investigated so far is observed in cattle, this species provides a good model for studying mechanisms of reprogramming. To advance the understanding of epigenetic events underlying the process of nuclear reprogramming we will systematically examine nuclear architecture and the corresponding epigenetic modifications of chromatin in donor cells with different development potential, in NT embryos reconstructed from these cells and in control, in vivo produced embryos. Using these new insights we want to actively modulate chromatin modifications of nuclear donors to test their effects on the developmental potential of reconstructed embryos. We expect that this research will expand the scientific knowledge on the relationships between epigenetic modifications in the context of nuclear architecture, embryo development and cell differentiation.