Researchers characterize regulating mechanism of orderly zygotic genome activation in early embryos

Early development of an embryo is solely supported by maternally deposited RNAs and proteins until its own genome is activated through a process called zygotic genome activation (ZGA). Recent work by Chinese scientists has revealed a novel molecular mechanism of how a totipotent chromatin is established and an orderly zygotic genome activation is controlled in early Drosophila embryos.