X chromosome inactivation revealed by the X-linked lacZ transgene activity in periimplantation mouse embryos.
Using H253 mouse stock harboring X-linked HMG-lacZ transgene, we examined X chromosome inactivation patterns in sectioned early female embryos. X-gal staining patterns were generally consistent with the paternal X inactivation in the trophectoderm and the primitive endoderm cell lineages and random inactivation in the epiblast lineages. The occurrence of embryonic visceral endoderm cells apparently at variance with the paternal X chromosome inactivation in 7.5 dpc embryos was explained by the replacement of visceral endoderm cells with cells of epiblast origin. The frequency of cells negative for X-gal staining in 4.5-5.5 dpc XmXp* embryos fluctuated considerably especially in the extraembryonic ectoderm and the primitive endoderm, whereas it was less variable in the embryonic ectoderm. We could not, however, determine whether it is a normal phenomenon revealed for the first time by the use of HMG-lacZ transgene or an abnormality caused by the multicopy transgene.
Sugimoto
M
M
Division of Bioscience, Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Tan
S S
SS
Takagi
N
N
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D007763:Lac Operon; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013997:Time Factors; D019076:Transgenes; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics*