AUTHOR=Zhang Daoyu , Zhou Yongfeng , Huang Rong , Zhai Yanhui , Wu Di , An Xinglan , Zhang Sheng , Shi Lijing , Li Qi , Kong Xiangjie , Yu Hao , Li Ziyi 

TITLE=LncRNA affects epigenetic reprogramming of porcine embryo development by regulating global epigenetic modification and the downstream gene SIN3A

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.971965

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2022.971965

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p>The study of preimplantation development is of great significance to reproductive biology and regenerative medicine. With the development of high-throughput deep sequencing technology, it has been found that lncRNAs play a very important role in the regulation of embryonic development. In this study, key lncRNAs that regulate embryonic development were screened by analyzing the expression pattern of lncRNAs in porcine <italic>in vivo</italic> fertilization (IVV) embryos. By knocking down lncRNA expression in <italic>in vitro</italic> fertilization (IVF) embryos, we investigated its function and mechanism of regulating embryonic development. The results showed that the expression pattern of lncRNA was consistent with the time of gene activation. The lncRNAs were highly expressed in the 4-cell to blastocyst stage but barely expressed in the oocytes and 2-cell stage. So we speculated this part of lncRNAs may regulate gene expression. The lncRNA LOC102165808 (named <italic>lncT</italic> because the gene near this lncRNA is <italic>TFAP2C</italic>) was one of them. The knockdown (KD) of <italic>lncT</italic> inhibited embryonic development, resulting in decreased H3K4me3, H3K4me2, and H3K9me3, and increased DNA methylation. Meanwhile, RNAseq showed <italic>SIN3A</italic> was the top decreased gene in <italic>lncT-</italic>KD embryos. There was a severe blastocyst formation defect in <italic>SIN3A-</italic>KD embryos. Both <italic>lncT</italic> and <italic>SIN3A</italic> could affect <italic>NANOG</italic> and induce more cell apoptosis. In conclusion, the knockdown of <italic>lncT</italic> inhibits embryonic development by regulating H3K4me3, H3K4me2, DNA methylation, pluripotency gene, and apoptosis, and <italic>SIN3A</italic> is one of the downstream genes of <italic>lncT</italic> in regulating embryonic development.</p>