A stretch of viral DNA in the mouse genome gives cells in early-stage embryos the potential to become almost any cell type in ...

Biochemical ‘DNA methylation’ marks are found across the genome in vertebrate animals, but in the early embryos of placental mammals, such as mice and humans, they are largely erased in a ‘system ...

Researchers have gained new insights into the mechanism behind the spatial organization of DNA within the cells of early embryos. When an embryo is first formed after fertilization, each cell has the ...

In the earliest hours after fertilization, an embryo takes its first steps toward becoming a living organism by shedding maternal control and activating its own genetic program. This critical process, ...

Over half of our genomes consists of thousands of remnants of ancient viral DNA, known as transposable elements, which are widespread across the tree of life. Once dismissed as the 'dark side' of the ...

The study published today reveals for the first time that the harmful effects of alcohol on fetal development aren't directly attributable to placental abnormalities. However, molecular changes, ...

A review in Clinical Epigenetics synthesizes growing evidence that paternal lifestyle and environmental exposures such as diet, obesity, smoking, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and stress alter sperm ...

Left: staining for H3K27me3, which marks inactive DNA, on a nucleus of a wildtype embryo consisting of two cells Right: staining for H3K27me3, which marks inactive DNA, on a nucleus of an embryo ...

A new study from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) in London, UK reveals how ancient viral DNA once written off as "junk" plays a crucial role in the earliest moments of life. The research, ...