mRNA isoform switches during mouse zygotic genome activation.

This article discusses a study published in Cell Proliferation that investigates the changes in mRNA isoforms during zygotic genome activation (ZGA) in mice. ZGA is the first transcriptional event after fertilization and involves the degradation of maternal mRNA and the transcription of new mRNAs from the zygotic genome. The study compares the transcriptomes of embryos with different parental genomes and stages of development to identify differential alternative splicing and alternative promoter usage events. The findings suggest that there are specific patterns of mRNA isoforms generated from the paternal and maternal genomes during ZGA, providing insights into how sperm and oocyte genomes regulate mammalian development. The study also examines the differences in mRNA isoforms before and after ZGA in mice and humans, identifying changes that can have functional implications beyond differences in mRNA abundance. The study provides insights into the regulatory mechanisms involved in early embryonic development and suggests that isoform changes can serve as markers for ZGA events, although further validation is needed to understand the specific functions of each isoform. The study was supported by various funding sources and the authors declare no conflicts of interest. [Extracted from the article]