Differential constitutive expression of interferon genes in early mouse embryos.
Recent evidence suggests that several processes during mammalian embryogenesis may be regulated by IFNs or IFN-like molecules. With the use of MAPPing, the simultaneous presence of transcripts homologous to IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, IRF-1, and IRF-2 was examined in mouse embryos and in embryonal carcinoma (EC) P19 cells, which are equivalent to epiblast cells of the early postimplantation blastocysts. Transcripts for IFN-alpha, but not for IFN-beta, were detected as maternal transcripts in the ovulated oocyte and persisted over early embryogenesis. IRF-1 transcripts appeared only after the first cell cleavage in the two-cell stage embryo. IRF-2 transcripts were analyzed only in EC P19 cells and were found in both undifferentiated (D-) and differentiated (D+) cells. The IFN-alpha transcripts present in (D-) P19 cells were cloned and the partial cDNA sequences determined. Mu IFN-alpha A and a new Mu IFN-alpha species (Mu IFN-alpha 12) were isolated from (D-) P19 cells. The presence of constitutive IFN-alpha transcripts in early mouse embryos suggests a role for these molecules during embryogenesis.
Riego
E
E
Mammalian Cell Genetics Division, Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología, Havana, Cuba.
Pérez
A
A
Martínez
R
R
Castro
F O
FO
Lleonart
R
R
de la Fuente
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011247:Pregnancy; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016899:Interferon-beta