Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, UTP University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, UTP University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Poult Sci. 2021 Jul;100(7):101164. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101164. Epub 2021 Mar 26.
Epigenetics is defined as the study of changes in gene function that are mitotically or meiotically heritable and do not lead to a change in DNA sequence. Epigenetic modifications are important mechanisms that fine tune the expression of genes in response to extracellular signals and environmental changes. In vertebrates, crucial epigenetic reprogramming events occur during early embryogenesis and germ cell development. Chicken embryo, which develops external to the mother's body, can be easily manipulated in vivo and in vitro, and hence, it is an excellent model for performing epigenetic studies. Environmental factors such as temperature can affect the development of an embryo into the phenotype of an adult. A better understanding of the environmental impact on embryo development can be achieved by analyzing the direct effects of epigenetic modifications as well as their molecular background and their intergenerational and transgenerational inheritance. In this overview, the current possibility of epigenetic changes during chicken embryonic development and their effects on long-term postembryonic development are discussed.
表观遗传学是研究基因功能在有丝分裂或减数分裂中可遗传的变化，且不会导致 DNA 序列改变的学科。表观遗传修饰是一种重要的机制，可通过响应细胞外信号和环境变化来精细调节基因的表达。在脊椎动物中，关键的表观遗传重编程事件发生在早期胚胎发生和生殖细胞发育过程中。鸡胚胎在母体体外发育，可以在体内和体外进行轻松操作，因此，它是进行表观遗传学研究的理想模型。环境因素，如温度，会影响胚胎发育为成年表型。通过分析表观遗传修饰及其分子背景以及它们的代际和跨代遗传的直接影响，可以更好地了解环境对胚胎发育的影响。在本篇综述中，讨论了鸡胚胎发育过程中表观遗传变化的可能性及其对长期胚胎后发育的影响。
