Prior to activation of the embryonic genome, the initiating events of mammalian development
are under maternal control and include fertilization, the block to polyspermy and processing …

Eggs of all animals contain mRNAs and proteins that are supplied to or deposited in the egg
as it develops during oogenesis. These maternal gene products regulate all aspects of …

Over 75 years ago, embryologists had already established that cytoplasmic components
could program early development even in the absence of nuclear material. Although …

The oocyte-to-zygote transition entails transforming a highly differentiated oocyte into
totipotent blastomeres and represents one of the earliest obstacles that must be successfully …

Upon fertilization, terminally differentiated gametes are transformed to a totipotent zygote,
which gives rise to an embryo. How parental epigenetic memories are inherited and …

Transcriptional activation in mammalian embryos occurs in a stepwise manner. In mice, it
begins at the late one-cell stage, followed by a minor wave of activation at the early two-cell …

The maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is an essential developmental turning point in both
plants and animals. In plants, the timing of MZT and parental contributions to the zygotic …

The first cell‐fate decision in mammalian preimplantation embryos is the segregation of the
inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) cell lineages. The ICM develops into the …

The many steps of gene expression, from the transcription of a gene to the production of its
protein product, are well understood. Yet, transcriptional regulation has been the focal point …

The Xenopus mid-blastula transition (MBT) marks the onset of large-scale zygotic
transcription, as well as an increase in cell cycle length and a loss of synchronous cell …