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The identification and classification of candidate genes during the zygotic genome activation in the mammals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2024

Kaiyue Hu ,
Wenbo Li ,
Shuxia Ma ,
Dong Fang  and
Jiawei Xu Open the ORCID record for Jiawei Xu [Opens in a new window]
Kaiyue Hu
Affiliation:
Luoyang maternal and Child Health Hospital, 206, Tongqu Road, Luoyang, Henan, 47100 China
Wenbo Li
Affiliation:
The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 40, Daxue Road, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052 China
Shuxia Ma
Affiliation:
Luoyang maternal and Child Health Hospital, 206, Tongqu Road, Luoyang, Henan, 47100 China
Dong Fang
Affiliation:
Luoyang maternal and Child Health Hospital, 206, Tongqu Road, Luoyang, Henan, 47100 China
Jiawei Xu*
Affiliation:
The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 40, Daxue Road, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052 China
*
Corresponding author: Jiawei Xu; Email: fccxujw@zzu.edu.cn
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Summary

Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is a critical event in early embryonic development, and thousands of genes are involved in this delicate and sophisticated biological process. To date, however, only a handful of these genes have revealed their core functions in this special process, and therefore the roles of other genes still remain unclear. In the present study, we used previously published transcriptome profiling to identify potential key genes (candidate genes) in minor ZGA and major ZGA in both human and mouse specimens, and further identified the conserved genes across species. Our results showed that 887 and 760 genes, respectively, were thought to be specific to human and mouse in major ZGA, and the other 135 genes were considered to be orthologous genes. Moreover, the conserved genes were most enriched in rRNA processing in the nucleus and cytosol, ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis, ribonucleoprotein complex assembly and ribosome large subunit biogenesis. The findings of this first comprehensive identification and characterization of candidate genes in minor and major ZGA provide relevant insights for future studies on ZGA.

Keywords

Candidate genesConserved genesRibosomal RNAMaternal genesNon-maternal genesZygotic genome activation
Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , First View , pp. 1 - 11
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© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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