Fetal testis organ culture reproduces the dynamics of epigenetic reprogramming in rat gonocytes

Abstract

This study reveals the chronology of three epigenetic marks (H3K4me2, H3K4me3 and 5mC) and the patterns of methylation of <i>H19</i> and <i>Snrpn</i> differentially methylated regions in rat gonocytes during perinatal development. Most importantly, our results suggest that the organ culture can reproduce the process of epigenetic reprogramming and can be used to study the impact of environmental chemicals on the establishment of the male germ cell epigenome.