Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Associate Professor Mark Wossidlo, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
- Second opponent: Associate Professor Jennifer Rose Gruhn, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor II Hege Elisabeth Giercksky Russnes, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Associate Professor Hely Katariina Laine, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Professor II Peter Zoltan Fedorcsak, University of Oslo
Summary
In assisted reproduction, many oocytes fail to develop after being fertilised, emphasising a need for a deeper molecular understanding of oogenesis and embryogenesis. The precise functions of key epigenetic and RNA modifications in regulation of early gene expression remain unclear despite their critical roles in development.
In this thesis, we employed a novel method, picoChIP-seq, and characterised how and when broad domains of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) are established in individual mouse oocytes. Further, we experimentally reduced H3K4me3 levels, revealing the mark’s role in maintaining oocyte genome silencing and meiotic competence. However, we also demonstrated that broad H3K4me3 removal after fertilisation does not impact transcriptional activity or development. Finally, using another new method, picoMeRIP-seq, we profiled the RNA modification N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in oocytes and embryos, unveiling its prevalence in stage-specific transcripts and suggesting a role in regulation of their stability. These findings enhance our understanding of epigenetic and RNA modifications in mouse development and lay the groundwork for future human studies.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.