Stage-specific induction and regulation by genomic imprinting of the mouse U2afbp-rs gene during preimplantation development.
The mouse U2afbp-rs gene is imprinted and expressed exclusively from the paternal allele in the adult. To determine whether the U2afbp-rs gene is regulated by imprinting in the early embryo and to examine its normal temporal pattern of expression, we used a new quantitative RT-PCR approach to compare U2afbp-rs gene expression between androgenetic and gynogenetic embryos and to monitor U2afbp-rs expression during normal preimplantation embryogenesis. The U2afbp-rs gene is transcriptionally induced transiently at the 2-cell stage, making it one of the first genes ever identified with this pattern of regulation. At the 2-cell stage, androgenones express approximately twice as much U2afbp-rs mRNA as normal embryos, while gynogenones express much less. Thus, genomic imprinting regulates the U2afbp-rs gene from the time of its initial induction, distinguishing it from some other autosomal imprinted genes that have been analyzed (e.g., Igf2r and Igf2). Because the function of the U2afbp-rs protein has not been determined, the significance of transient induction of the U2afbp-rs gene at the 2-cell stage is not clear. Our data indicate that abundant expression of the U2afbp-rs gene is not essential for early development since gynogenones form blastocysts at a high frequency.
Latham
K E
KE
Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.
Rambhatla
L
L
Hayashizaki
Y
Y
Chapman
V M
VM
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D000072668:Splicing Factor U2AF
D017931:DNA Primers; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D000072668:Splicing Factor U2AF; C000607495:Zrsr1 protein, mouse