title: Polypeptide profiles of human oocytes and preimplantation embryos.
abstract: The polypeptides that direct fertilization and early development until activation of the embryonic genome occurs, at the 4-8 cell stage in the human, are exclusively maternal in origin, and are either synthesized during oogenesis or translated later from maternal mRNA. Using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver stain, we have visualized and compared the polypeptides present in different populations of human oocytes and cleavage stage embryos obtained after superovulation and insemination in vitro. Two polypeptide patterns were resolved, differing in the region of mol. wt 69 kDa. The distribution of these patterns showed no correlation with the ability of individual oocytes to achieve fertilization and develop normally to the 8-cell stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capmany
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Bolton
mesh_terms: D001755:Blastocyst / Q000737:chemistry*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D016622:Silver Staining; D013480:Superovulation; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides