The egg to embryo transition: molecular basis and developmental control

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The egg is a highly specialized cell, like almost every other cell in our body. But, unlike any other cell in our body, when an egg is fertilized, it becomes an embryo. All of the cells of the new individual descend from the fertilized egg, which for this reason we consider to be non-specialized, or totipotent. How is the specialized egg rapidly and efficiently converted to the non-specialized embryo that carries the potential to form every cell in our body? The process is complex, but some key events have been identified. A particularly important one is the elimination of the genetic information in the egg, so that it can be replaced by the new genetic information of the embryo. Genetic information is transported in the cell by molecules called messenger RNAs. This research will study how the messenger RNAs in the egg are degraded, and how this process is controlled do that they are degraded in the right place and at the right time. We hope that the results will help us to understand not only embryonic development but also uncover general principles that explain how different cells develop and acquire unique functions.