Activation of paternally derived regulatory mechanism in early mouse embryo.
A stage-specific occurrence of retrovirus-like elements (intracisternal particles) is regularly observed within the endoplasmic reticulum of early mouse embryos. A quantitative electron microscopic study was carried out on hybrid embryos issued from the matings between high- and low-producer mouse strains of intracisternal particles. The low-producer character behaved as dominant in all these crosses, and this enabled us to demonstrate the activation of paternally introduced regulatory mechanism in two-cell embryos and morulae. There was no sign of maternal effect in the results of reciprocal crosses.
D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005220:Fathers; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009028:Morula / Q000648:ultrastructure