Pivotal role of histone modifications in in vitro fertilization (IVF): Diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives.

Histone post-translational modifications play a major role in gametogenesis and early embryogenesis, being closely associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF). Proper regulation of histone modifications enables chromatin compaction, transcriptional activity, parental imprint establishment and genomic reprogramming which are essential events for zygotic genome activation and lineage specification post-fertilization. Aberrant histone regulation can disrupt epigenetic integrity, leading to impaired gamete quality, defective embryonic development, imprinting errors and potential long-term offspring implications. This review provides a critical overview of the recent findings linking assisted reproduction procedures to altered histone profiles and adverse embryonic outcomes. Emerging epigenetic strategies, including epigenetic monitoring, epigenetic editing tools (CRISPR-dCas9), optimal epigenetic quality control in IVF labs and multi-omics approaches are thoroughly discussed, aiming to optimize IVF and enhance embryo health.