Mouse study links temporary nuclear softening to early embryo gene activation
A Nature study reports that mouse embryo nuclei briefly soften during a stage associated with activation of the embryo's own genes.
Researchers reported that nuclei in two-cell mouse embryos become temporarily softer and more deformable as the embryos begin activating their own genes. The study linked the shift to removal of the nuclear-envelope protein lamin B1.
When the researchers kept the nuclei stiffer in their experiments, activation of many genes and embryo development were impaired. The findings are from mouse embryos and do not establish the same mechanism in people.