title: Endogenous amino acid pool sizes in mouse eggs and preimplantation embryos.
abstract: The endogenous pool sizes of 17 amino acids were measured directly in samples of mouse eggs, 8-cell embryos and blastocysts by estimation of the fluorescent product of the reaction of o-phthalaldehyde and primary amines. Taurine, glycine, alanine, glutamate and aspartate were detected at high levels. During the transition to the blastocyst, most amino acid pools increased 2-3-fold, but the taurine and glycine pools decreased to about 50 and 10%, respectively, of the egg value. The amino acid distribution in cumulus masses was similar to that of the egg and embryo samples but different from that of serum.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D010063:Ovum / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids