title: Transcriptional selectivity in early mouse embryos: a qualitative study.
abstract: The mouse zygotic genome is activated at the 2-cell stage. At this stage, microinjected DNA can be expressed and its transcription, analysed qualitatively with LacZ reporter genes, has the following characteristics (i) Sp1-sensitive promoters are active; (ii) the SV40 early promoter does not require upstream enhancers; (iii) genes driven by the -447, +563 region of murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) are repressed and; (iv) activation of promoters is possible as shown for the promoter of acetylcholine receptor alpha-subunit by MyoD. This transactivation can occur before the formation of the zygotic genome. The transcriptional selectivity of 2-cell embryos also characterizes oocytes and 4-cell embryos. Therefore the elements involved are present in the oocytes and they persist after fertilization. This transcriptional selectivity has numerous common characteristics with that in EC cells, and may be indicative of a genetic control program specific for multipotential cells.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Biologie Moléculaire du Développement, Institut Pasteur, Unité Associée 1148, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonnerot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vernet
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grimber
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Briand
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Nicolas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D007763:Lac Operon; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008845:Microinjections; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000235:genetics; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000235:genetics; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics; D015053:Zygote / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; D013937:Thymidine Kinase