Data-mining the clinical determinants of successful oocyte-to-embryo transition in humans

Abstract

The oocyte-to-embryo transition (OET) involves some of the most dramatic subcellular processes in human biology. Remarkably, these events occur largely in the absence of transcription, which means that maternally inherited factors drive the majority of these processes_including reprogramming and activation of the new embryonic genome. Animal models have shed light on the molecular determinants of OET in mice and other mammals. However, work in humans has been limited by the ethical and logistical challenges of procuring and manipulating healthy early embryos.