title: Identification of metaphase II-specific gene transcripts in porcine oocytes and their expression in early stage embryos.
abstract: Annealing control primer (ACP)-based GeneFishing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify the genes that are specifically or prominently expressed in porcine oocytes at the metaphase II (MII) and germinal vesicle (GV) stages. By using 60 ACPs, 13 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The cloned genes or expressed sequence tags (ESTs) showed sequence similarity with known genes or ESTs of other species in GenBank. The mRNA expression during oocyte maturation and early embryonic development in both pigs and mice of four of these genes (namely transcription factor TZP, annexin A2, hypoxia-inducible protein 2, and ATPase 6) was further characterised by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. All four genes were markedly upregulated in pig and mouse MII oocytes compared with GV-stage oocytes. The expression levels of the four genes decreased gradually during early cleavage. Thus, these genes may play important roles during oocyte maturation and/or early cleavage in mammals. Although the detailed functions of these genes remain to be determined, their identification in the present study provides insights into meiotic maturation and fertilisation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: Xiang-Shun
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Hyuk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Nam-Hyung
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D017306:Annexin A2 / Q000235:genetics; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008677:Metaphase / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013552:Swine / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017306:Annexin A2; D017931:DNA Primers; C485502:HIF-2 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; C509878:transcription factor TZP, mouse; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases