Abstract Global epigenetic resetting in the gonadal primordial germ cells (PGCs) enables transition from early PGCs to gametogenesis and eventual restoring of totipotency after fertilization. This reprogramming process involves global DNA demethylation, changes in nuclear morphology and remodeling of repressive histone modifications. Here, using combined cytological and Hi-C-based methods, we reveal that, following the epigenetic reprogramming and concomitant with their commitment to gametogenesis, premeiotic gonadal germ cells display a distinct chromosome and genome architecture. This involves separation of individual chromosomes, anchoring of centromeres at the nuclear periphery, reduction in interchromosome interactions and disentangling of chromosome ends. Furthermore, genome-wide contact mapping documents remodeling of the three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture across all observable levels, including disruption of topologically associating domains (TADs), loss of detectable loops and reduced active–active compartment interactions. We further show that the diminished TADs correlate with the reduced levels of CCCTC-binding factor, thus providing an in vivo physiological model to understand genome folding principles. Lastly, we show that PGC-like cells, derived from embryonic stem cells, do not exhibit the same chromatin organization as embryonic germ cells. Collectively, our findings uncover the existence of a distinct chromatin architecture in premeiotic male and female gonadal germ cells and show that, alongside global DNA demethylation, the germline epigenetic reprogramming involves erasure of memory at the genome architectural level through profound reorganization of the 3D genome.
Huang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.