title: Complementary tissue-specific expression of LIF and LIF-receptor mRNAs in early mouse embryogenesis.
abstract: The maintenance of pluripotential embryonic stem (ES) cells is dependent on the cytokine LIF. This report documents the mRNA expression profiles of LIF and the two components of the LIF-receptor complex, LIF-R and gp130, during early mouse embryogenesis. These mRNAs were undetectable in 1- or 2-cell embryos, but all were present by the blastocyst stage. LIF transcripts were localised in the differentiated trophectoderm, and were absent from the pluripotential inner cell mass. In contrast, LIF-R mRNA was found in the inner cell mass but not in the trophectoderm. This complementary pattern of expression is suggestive of a paracrine coupling between stem cells and differentiated progeny at the earliest stage of mammalian development. After implantation, transcripts for all components were down-regulated in the embryo. High levels of LIF-R and gp130 mRNAs were observed in the deciduum, however. These dynamic, tissue-specific expression patterns are consistent with regulatory roles for LIF or related cytokines, both in the maintenance of pluripotency in the mouse embryo, and in development of the foeto-maternal interface.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Genome Research, University of Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taga
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D053680:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009025:Morpholines / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D053606:Receptors, OSM-LIF; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D053680:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit; C507838:Lif protein, mouse; C507841:Lifr protein, mouse; D008222:Lymphokines; D009025:Morpholines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D053606:Receptors, OSM-LIF; C005759:2-phenyl-5,5-dimethyltetrahydro-1,4-oxazine