Enhancer of zeste 2 ( @entity8590 ), a SET domain-containing protein, is crucial for development in many model organisms, including early @entity19 development. In @entity19 , @entity8590 is detected as a maternally inherited protein in the oocyte but its function at the onset of development is unknown. We have used a conditional allele of @entity8590 to deplete the oocyte of this maternal inheritance. We show that the loss of maternal @entity8590 has a long-term effect causing severe @entity851 of neonates despite 'rescue' through embryonic transcription from the paternal allele. This phenotypic effect on growth could be attributed to the asymmetric localisation of the @entity8590 / @entity10595 complex and the associated histone methylation pattern to the maternal genome, which is disrupted in @entity8590 mutant zygotes. During subsequent development, we detect distinct histone methylation patterns in the trophectoderm and the pluripotent epiblast. In the latter where @entity7002 expression continues from the zygote onwards, the @entity8590 / @entity10595 complex apparently establishes a unique epigenetic state and plasticity, which probably explains why loss of @entity8590 is early embryonic lethal and obligatory for the derivation of pluripotent embryonic stem cells. By contrast, in the differentiating trophectoderm cells where @entity7002 expression is progressively downregulated @entity8590 / @entity10595 complex is recruited transiently to one X chromosome in female embryos at the onset of X-inactivation. This accumulation and the associated histone methylation are also lost in @entity8590 mutants, suggesting a role in X inactivation. Thus, @entity8590 has significant and diverse roles during early development, as well as during the establishment of the first differentiated cells, the trophectoderm, and of the pluripotent epiblast cells.

Consequences of the depletion of zygotic and embryonic enhancer of zeste 2 during preimplantation XXXX development.

@entity851 :: ('MESH:D006130', 'Disease') :: ['growth retardation'] @entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['mice', 'mouse'] @entity8590 :: ('14056(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['Ezh2'] @entity10595 :: ('13626(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['Eed'] @entity7002 :: ('100846986', 'Gene') :: ['Oct4']
@entity19 :: (10090,Species) :: ['mouse']
