title: Gene expression profiling of the pre-implantation mouse embryo by microarray analysis: comparison of the two-cell stage and two-cell block.
abstract: To improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying early embryo development, further characterization of gene activity in oocytes and embryos is urgently required. The transition from the two-cell to four-cell stage is particularly important in pre-implantation embryonic development, as it involves transcriptional reprogramming and cellular differentiation. In this study, we used a 7.4 K cDNA microarray to screen mRNA transcript levels in the pre-implantation mouse embryo. Real-time PCR was used to confirm microarray data. We profiled 7,410 genes and identified 4,562 genes that were differentially expressed in the pre-implantation embryo. We selected a total of 248 genes with significant expression changes that are functionally involved in the two-cell and two-cell block embryo. Of these genes, 114 were down-regulated and the remainder (n=134) were up-regulated in the two-cell embryo. This study provides a developmental map of a large number of genes in the pre-implantation mouse embryo with particular emphasis on gene expression in the two-cell embryo and two-cell block embryo. Further investigations based on this data will provide a better understanding of the effects of various external conditions and may facilitate comparative analysis of pre-implantation development in other mammalian species, including human.
authors.affiliation: Genome Research Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility of Korea, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Seoul 135-081, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Hyun Jae
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sook-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyubum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kwack
authors.forename: So-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Yoon-Jeong
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hyung-Goo
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyo-Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chung-No
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwang-Yul
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Cha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum / Q000378:metabolism*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism