Chromatin remodeler CHD4 establishes chromatin states required for ovarian reserve formation, maintenance, and germ cell survival [RNA-seq]

To understand the functional role of CHD4, a member of the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase (NuRD) complex, in establishing chromatin states in the formation and maintenance of ovarian reserve and the maintenance of female and male germ cells, we eliminated CHD4 function in germ cells using Ddx4-Cre and Gdf9-iCre to generate CHD4 conditional knockout (Chd4 DcKO and GcKO) mice. We discover that CHD4 defines the chromatin state that ensures germ cell survival, thereby enabling the long-term maintenance of female and male germ cells. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of Chd4 Dctrl and Chd4 DcKO non-growing oocytes and undifferentiated spermatogonia, and Chd4 Gctrl and Chd4 GcKO non-growing and growing oocytes.