title: How does transferrin overcome the in vitro block to development of the mouse preimplantation embryo?
abstract: Transferrin promotes development of mouse embryos through the two-cell block in vitro. Uptake of transferrin into blastocysts was shown to occur by both receptor-mediated and nonspecific pathways, but neither pathway was used to a detectable extent by embryos before the eight-cell stage. Conversely, the dialysis of culture medium, non-permissive for development through the two-cell block, against a solution of transferrin rendered it capable of supporting development. It was therefore concluded that transferrin exerts its supportive effect on development in vitro via its chelating effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nasr-Esfahani
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D014168:Transferrin; D007501:Iron