Human and Animal Model Reproductive Epigenetics: Special collection

Molecular Human Reproduction (MHR) prides itself on taking forward the successful initiative of open calls for papers, following the inaugural call of Spring 2017 (‘In vitro-generated germ cells—facts and possibilities’), which was the first in the journal’s history (Boiani, 2017). In this editorial...

Historically, epigenetics has referred to chemical modifications made to DNA that regulate gene expression without changing DNA sequence. These modifications are mitotically heritable and are passed from parent cell to daughter cell.

Epigenetic changes alter the expression of genes at both pre- and post-transcriptional levels without changing their DNA sequence. Accumulating evidence suggests that such changes can modify cellular behavior and characteristics required during development and in response to various extracellular stimuli.

Cannabis is increasingly consumed by women of childbearing age, and the reproductive and epigenetic effects are unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential epigenetic implications of cannabis use on the female ovarian follicle.

In addition to their role in protein translation, tRNAs can be cleaved into shorter, biologically active fragments called tRNA fragments (tRFs). Specific tRFs from spermatocytes can propagate metabolic disorders in second generations of mice.

RNA modifications, which are introduced post-transcriptionally, have recently been assigned pivotal roles in the regulation of spermatogenesis and embryonic development. However, the RNA modification landscape in human sperm is poorly characterized, hampering our understanding about the potential role played by RNA modification in sperm.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is often associated with aberrant DNA methylation. Despite the advances in diagnostics and treatment of PCOS, the pathophysiological mechanism remains unknown.

Understanding how gene regulatory elements influence ovarian follicle development has important implications in clinically relevant settings. This includes understanding decreased fertility with age and understanding the short-lived graft function commonly observed after ovarian tissue cryopreservation and subsequent autologous transplantation as a fertility preservation treatment.

Human endometrial stromal cells (hESCs) undergo a differentiation process with dramatic changes in cell functions during the menstrual cycle, which is called decidualization. This is an important event for implantation of the embryo and successful pregnancy.