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

由于迄今为止研究的所有哺乳动物物种中克隆效率最高的是牛，因此该物种为研究重编程机制提供了一个很好的模型。为了促进对核重编程过程中表观遗传事件的理解，我们将系统地研究具有不同发育潜力的供体细胞中的核结构和相应的染色质表观遗传修饰，从这些细胞重建的NT胚胎和对照体内产生的胚胎。利用这些新的见解，我们希望积极调节核供体的染色质修饰，以测试它们对重建胚胎发育潜力的影响。我们希望这项研究将扩大对核结构，胚胎发育和细胞分化背景下表观遗传修饰之间关系的科学知识。

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.