Research Uncovers New Insights into Genomic Imprinting in Animals

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at Nara Medical University in Kashihara, Japan, have made significant discoveries in the field of genetics, shedding light on the mechanisms behind genomic imprinting in animals. According to the study, published in the journal eLife, the imprinted gene ZDBF2 is regulated through a unique mechanism involving a transient paternal transcript in early embryos. This finding suggests that the emergence of ZDBF2 imprinting is linked to the insertion of a MER21C long terminal repeat (LTR) in the common ancestor of Euarchontoglires, a group of mammals that includes primates, rodents, and rabbits.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study reveals a unique mechanism of genomic imprinting involving a transient paternal transcript in early embryos.
  • The imprinted gene ZDBF2 is regulated through this mechanism, which is absent in non-Euarchontoglires mammals.
  • The emergence of ZDBF2 imprinting is linked to the insertion of a MER21C long terminal repeat (LTR) in the common ancestor of Euarchontoglires.
  • Comparative analyses revealed that this MER21C insertion occurred in the common ancestor of Euarchontoglires, including primates, rodents, and rabbits.
  • The study also found that the first exon of human GPR1-AS overlaps with a MER21C LTR, a retrotransposon subfamily specific to Boreoeutherian mammals.
  • The research concluded that post-fertilization activation of retrotransposons can drive lineage-specific acquisition of imprinting, as demonstrated by the study's findings on LTR-driven imprinting in oocytes.
  • The study's findings suggest that ZDBF2 imprinting emerged in Euarchontoglires via MER21C insertion.

Statistics:

  • The study was funded by the Japan Society For The Promotion of Science, The Cooperative Research Program of The Nodai Genome Research Center At Tokyo University of Agriculture, and The Cooperative Research Program of The Center For The Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior And Wildlife Research Center At Kyoto University, among others.
  • The study involved researchers from Nara Medical University, including Hisato Kobayashi and Tatsushi Igaki, as well as additional authors from various institutions.
  • The MER21C insertion occurred in the common ancestor of Euarchontoglires, a group of mammals that includes primates, rodents, and rabbits.

Sources:

  • Post-fertilization transcription initiation in an ancestral LTR retrotransposon drives lineage-specific genomic imprinting of ZDBF2. eLife, 2025,13.
  • eLife - https://elifesciences.org
  • eLife Sciences Publications Ltd.
  • https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.7554/eLife.94502
  • NewsRx. Research from Nara Medical University in Genetics Provides New Insights (Post-fertilization transcription initiation in an ancestral LTR retrotransposon drives lineage-specific genomic imprinting of ZDBF2). Life Science Weekly. June 17, 2025; p 3381.