An epigenomic biography of the mammalian oocyte

Abstract

Successful fertilization and early development depend on the quality of the ovulated oocyte. Our knowledge lacks of links between morphological aspects described and the genomic and epigenomic features that work in the backstage. Bringing to light these links would permit the identification of molecular markers of the oocyte developmental competence. In this chapter, we will review our current understanding of the changes that occur to the oocyte epigenetic signature during folliculogenesis and in mature oocytes.