A totipotent zygote is created when sperm and oocyte fuse in the process of fertilization. This zygote then undergoes a specialized form of cell division called cleavage, gradually differentiating and progressing through embryonic development. Although this process shares universal features across species, it also exhibits unexpected diversity. It has become clear that mammals, in which fertilization and development occur entirely within the female body, exhibit many differences from other vertebrates.
Our laboratory focuses on investigating these mammal-specific features of fertilization and early development. We explore how organelle positioning, such as that of the spindle, is controlled during the ~2-hour period following sperm–egg fusion that culminates in zygote formation.
We also examine why chromosome missegregation and aneuploidy frequently occur during cleavage-stage divisions, and why mammalian embryos are particularly sensitive to changes in ploidy.
Using live imaging and other cell biological approaches, we aim to understand these processes at the molecular level and shed light on the unique aspects of mammalian embryogenesis.