Nuclear softening at an embryo's two-cell stage may be vital for further embryonic development

A research team led by Kyushu University and the National Institute of Genetics has discovered that during the two-cell stage of mouse embryonic development, the embryo's nucleus softens and deforms. This nuclear softening is an integral part of major zygotic gene activation, where approximately 2,000 genes necessary for embryonic development activate simultaneously. This indicates that nuclear softening is a critical step for further embryonic development.