DNA methylation in stem cells
One of our research axes is focused on understanding how DNA methylation patterns are established, maintained, and interpreted during embryonic development. To address these questions we use mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells as our model, and we apply a wide array of tools: cell biology, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics… This has led us, for example, to decipher important mechanisms of epigenetic memory (Ferry et al, Mol Cell 2017, review in Petryk et al NAR 2020). More recently, we carried out genome-wide CRISPR screens to identify factors linking epigenetics and cellular state (Gupta, Yakhou et al., NSMB 2023).
A CRISPR screen identifies new repressors of the totipotent state in mouse embryonic stem cells
In mammals, only the zygote and blastomeres of the early embryo are fully totipotent. This totipotency is reflected in vitro by the expression of markers such as Zscan4. We performed a genome-wide CRISPR KO screen in mouse embryonic stem cells, looking for mutants that reactivate the expression of totipotency markers, like for example the knock-out of Spop.
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Seminar Anne-Sophie Lebre– May 27, 2026
Pr. Anne-Sophie Lebre CHU de Reims - Hôpital Robert Debré, France Invited by Pr. Bertrand Cosson "Brain (epi)genome study in CNS rare disorders" The seminar will take place in the Institut Jacques Monod seminar room (RB-18B). Bâtiment Buffon, 15 rue Hélène Brion,...
Seminar Hiroshi Kimura– May 20, 2026
Dr. Hiroshi Kimura Institute of Quantitative Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Japan Invited by Dr. Pierre-Antoine Defossez "Dynamics of chromatin modification and transcription in vivo." The seminar is Zoom-only On Wednesday, May 20that 11:00 am....
Bing Zhu Seminar – May 6, 2026
Dr. Bing Zhu Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Invited by Dr. Pierre-Antoine Defossez "Epigenetics: remember the past & prepare for the future." The seminar is Zoom-only On Wednesday, May 6that 11:00 am....
Harm H. Kampinga Seminar – April 15, 2026
Dr. Harm H. Kampinga Dept. Biomedical Sciences, UMCG/RuG, Groningen, The Netherlands Invited by Dr. Valérie Mezger "Collapse of protein homeostasis as driver of age-related protein aggregation diseases" The seminar will take place in the Institut Jacques Monod seminar...