Mammalian
fertilization begins with the fusion of two specialized
gametes, followed by major
epigenetic remodeling leading to the formation of a totipotent
embryo. During the development of the pre-implantation
embryo, precise reprogramming progress is a prerequisite for avoiding developmental defects or embryonic lethality, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. For the past few years, unprecedented breakthroughs have been made in mapping the regulatory network of dynamic
epigenomes during mammalian early
embryo development, taking advantage of multiple advances and innovations in low-input
genome-wide
chromatin analysis technologies. The aim of this
review is to highlight the most recent progress in
understanding the mechanisms of
epigenetic remodeling during early
embryogenesis in
mammals, including
DNA methylation,
histone modifications,
chromatin accessibility and 3D
chromatin organization.