Primordial Germ-Cell Development and Epigenetic Reprogramming in Mammals - Current Topics in Developmental Biology - page 162

Table 5.1 Comparison of PGC gene expression in different mammals
Mouse Human Rat Others

Specification genes Blimp1 þ þ þ

Prdm14 þ þ ND

Tcfap2c þ þ ND

Lin28 þ þ ND

Stella þ ND þ

Pluripotency genes Oct4 þ þ þ Sheep: þ , Pig: þ

Nanog þ þ þ Sheep: þ , Pig: þ

Sox2 þ - þ Sheep: low

Klf4 - ND þ

SSEA1 þ þ - Sheep: þ , Pig: þ ,

Goat: þ

c-Kit þ þ ND

þ þ

Germ-cell-specific
genes and others

Prmt5 ND

Nanos3 þ ND þ

Dnd1 þ ND ND

Vasa/
Mvh

þ þ þ

Dazl þ þ þ

AP þ þ þ Sheep: þ , Pig: þ ,

Cow: þ , Goat: low

ND, not determined; þ , expressed; -, not expressed.

reactivation in females or to prevent inheritance of epimutations. Epigenetic
reprogramming is usually considered to occur in two distinct waves and we
will stick to this convention. However, whether the early and late stages of
epigenetic reprogramming fulfill discrete biological function(s) is not clear.

4.1. Early
A number of epigenetic changes have been documented to occur immedi-
ately following specification, at around E8.0-8.5. There is a marked reduc-
tion in histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2), starting at around