Non-canonical spatial organization of heterochromatin in mouse preimplantation embryos.

In Brief: Spatial genome organization refers to the arrangement of chromosomes within the nucleus, undergoing significant chromatin remodeling during the early stages of mammalian development. This review explores the mechanisms behind this organization, focusing on heterochromatin and its potential role in regulating embryonic genome expression.

Abstract: Spatial genome organization refers to the conformation of the chromosomes and their relative positioning within the nucleus.

Inversion of a topological domain leads to restricted changes in its gene expression and affects interdomain communication.

The interplay between the topological organization of the genome and the regulation of gene expression remains unclear. Depletion of molecular factors (e.g.

Bioinformatic Analysis of Single-Cell Hi-C Data from Early Mouse Embryo.

The adaptation of Hi-C protocols to enable the investigation of chromosome organization in single cells opens new avenues to study the dynamics of this process during embryogenesis. However, the analysis of single-cell Hi-C data is not yet standardized and raises novel bioinformatic challenges. Here we describe a complete workflow for the analysis of single-cell Hi-C data, with a main focus on allele-specific analysis based on data obtained from hybrid embryos.

Mapping of Chromosome Territories by 3D-Chromosome Painting During Early Mouse Development.

Following fertilization in mammals, the chromatin landscape inherited from the two parental genomes and the nuclear organization are extensively reprogrammed. A tight regulation of nuclear organization is important for developmental success. One main nuclear feature is the organization of the chromosomes in discrete and individual nuclear spaces known as chromosome territories (CTs).