title: Ethanol-induced intracellular calcium mobilization rapidly alters gene expression in the mouse blastocyst.
abstract: The induction of intracellular Ca2+ release in pre-implantation mouse embryos accelerates their subsequent rate of development in vitro through a calmodulin-dependent mechanism [Stachecki J.J., Armant D.R. Transient release of calcium from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-specific stores regulates mouse pre-implantation development. Development 1996; 122: 2485-2496]. To examine the hypothesis that intracellular Ca2+ signaling alters embryonic gene expression, individual transcript levels were compared by mRNA differential display before and 1 h after intracellular Ca2+ mobilization with ethanol in mouse blastocysts. Ten up-regulated and four down-regulated genes were observed, representing 3.5% of approximately 400 transcripts that were resolved. After sequencing, most of the DNA fragments appeared to be novel; however, two amplicons that increased after Ca2+ mobilization were identified as arginase and ubiquitin conjugating enzyme (E2). The up-regulation of arginase mRNA (3.5-fold after 2 h) was confirmed by reverse transcription and the polymerase chain reaction using specific oligonucleotide primers derived from the deduced mouse embryo sequence. A corresponding 2.5-fold increase in arginase enzymatic activity peaked 9 h after ethanol exposure. Increased expression of arginase and other genes may mediate the onset of rapid cell proliferation and differentiation that is induced by Ca2+ signaling during pre-implantation development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
authors.forename: U K
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Rout
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Krawetz
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Armant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001119:Arginase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001757:Blastomeres; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007424:Intracellular Fluid; D008246:Lysophospholipids / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051381:Rats; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D008246:Lysophospholipids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000001:Calcimycin; D000431:Ethanol; D001119:Arginase; D002118:Calcium