title: A burst of c-fos gene expression in the mouse occurs at birth.
abstract: Expression of the c-fos gene during murine perinatal development was studied. Before birth, all eight of the prenatal organs tested expressed undetectable or low levels of c-fos mRNA. On the day of birth, there occurred a 10- to 100-fold increase in the level of c-fos message in all of these organs. The expression was transient, in that 1 day after birth, the level of c-fos mRNA precipitously dropped. The c-fos gene expression at birth is unrelated to the expression of the c-myc gene and major histocompatibility complex class I genes, which display distinct kinetics during the perinatal development. The c-fos gene was also expressed locally and transiently in the gravid uterus 1 to 2 days prior to delivery. These results indicate that an event associated with birth induced c-fos gene expression in the mother and newborn.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Developmental and Molecular Immunity, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kasik
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D005865:Gestational Age; D051379:Mice; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger