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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Genet.
Sec. Human and Medical Genomics
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1480153

Comparative study of the three-dimensional genomes of granulosa cells in germinal vesicle and metaphase II follicles

Provisionally accepted
Rurong  Mao Rurong Mao 1Zhongkun  Cai Zhongkun Cai 2Tao  Wang Tao Wang 2Yan  Li Yan Li 3Shilin  Tian Shilin Tian 4Diyan  Li Diyan Li 2Penghao  Li Penghao Li 1,5*
  • 1 Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's Hospital, Chengdu 610000, China., Chengdu, China
  • 2 Antibiotics Research and Re-evaluation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China., Chengdu, China
  • 3 Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 611081, Sichuan, China., Chengdu, China
  • 4 Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing 100015, China., Beijing, China
  • 5 Yunnan Jinxin Jiuzhou Hospital, Kunming, 650233, Yunnan, China., Kunming, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Follicle development is a critical process in the female reproductive system, with significant implications for fertility and reproductive health. Germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes are primary oocytes that are arrested in the dictyate stage, also known as the diplotene stage of meiotic prophase I. metaphase II (MII) is the stage at which the oocyte is typically retrieved for assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). The granulosa cells play a pivotal role in follicle development processes. 3D chromatin organization is a fundamental aspect of cellular biology that has significant implications for gene regulation and cellular function. In this study, we investigated 3D chromatin organization in granulosa cells from GV and MII follicles, which is essential for understanding the regulatory mechanisms governing oocyte development. The results revealed distinct compartmentalization patterns, including stable genomic regions and transitions during oocyte maturation. Notably, there was a significant shift in functional gene activation, particularly in processes related to hormone metabolic pathways. Furthermore, alterations in topologically associating domains (TADs) were observed, with differential expression observed in genes that are involved in crucial biological processes. The analysis also identified a subset of genes with altered promoter-enhancer interactions (PEIs), reflecting a regulatory shift in gene expression related to reproductive processes. These findings provide valuable insights into 3D genome organization in granulosa cells, with implications for reproductive health and the development of assisted reproductive technologies. Understanding spatial genome organization at different stages of follicular development may help realize novel strategies for enhancing success rates in assisted reproductive technologies.

    Keywords: Three-dimensional genome organization, Granulosa Cells, GV follicles, MII follicles, TAD, Chromatin compartments

    Received: 13 Aug 2024; Accepted: 04 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Mao, Cai, Wang, Li, Tian, Li and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Penghao Li, Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's Hospital, Chengdu 610000, China., Chengdu, China

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