BACKGROUND The placenta is of utmost importance for intrauterine fetal development and
growth. Deregulation of placentation can lead to adverse outcomes for both mother and …

Recent studies suggest a possible link between human assisted reproductive technology
and genomic imprinting disorders. Assisted reproductive technology includes the isolation …

Imprinted genes are epigenetically marked during gametogenesis so that they are
exclusively expressed from either the paternal or the maternal allele in offspring. Imprinting …

Maintenance of genomic methylation patterns in mammalian somatic cells depends on DNA
methyltransferase-1 (Dnmt1). Mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos lack Dnmt1 but …

Imprinted genes are differentially marked during germ cell development to allow for their
eventual parent-of-origin specific expression. A subset of imprinted genes becomes …

The development of oocytes and early embryos is dependent on mitochondrial ATP
production. This reliance on mitochondrial activity, together with the exclusively maternal …

Mounting evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that the epigenome is in
constant drift over the life course in response to stochastic and environmental factors. In …

Homologous gap junctions are generally recognized as a means of coordinating cellular
behavior under developmental and homeostatic conditions. In the mammalian ovary …

DNA methylation differences between maternal and paternal alleles of many imprinted
genes are inherited from the male and female gametes and subsequently maintained during …

BACKGROUND: There is an increased incidence of rare imprinting disorders associated
with assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs). The sex-specific epigenetic modifications …