title: Ago2 and GW182 expression in mouse preimplantation embryos: a link between microRNA biogenesis and GW182 protein synthesis.
abstract: MicroRNA-mediated RNA interference appears to play a role in early development and differentiation processes in preimplantation embryos. However, the expression of its key effectors, including Ago2, a key component of the RNA-induced silencing complex, and GW182, a critical component of GW bodies (GWBs), has not been assessed in preimplantation embryos. To characterise the roles of Ago2 and GW182 in early embryo development, we determined their transcription and protein synthesis in mouse embryos. Transcript levels of Ago2 and GW182 increased steadily from the one-cell stage through to the blastocyst stage when data were not normalised against an internal reference. However, when normalised against the internal standard, transcript levels for both genes were highest in four-cell stage embryos and decreased steadily through to the blastocyst stage. Indirect immunocytochemistry showed that both AGO2 and GW182 proteins were expressed in each stage in the early embryo and were observed to colocalise in the morula and blastocyst stages. Specific silencing of mRNA expression by short interference (si) RNA against Ago2 or Dicer1 decreased the expression of selected apoptosis- and development-related microRNAs, but did not inhibit development up to the blastocyst stage. However, transcription levels of Oct3/4, Nanog and Sox2 were decreased in both Ago2- and Dicer1-knockdown embryos at the blastocyst stage. Furthermore, although knockdown of these genes did not change transcript levels of GW182, GW182 protein synthesis was decreased in blastocyst stage embryos. These results suggest that Ago2 and Dicer1 regulate GW182 protein expression in mouse embryos, which is linked to microRNA biogenesis and likely to be important for differentiation in the blastocyst stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 361-763, Korea.
authors.forename: Xing-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Young-Joon
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Xiang-Shun
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Nam-Hyung
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology*; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D043244:Ribonuclease III; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C526735:Ago2 protein, mouse; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; C475540:Nanog protein, mouse; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors; C527783:Sox2 protein, mouse; D004722:Endoribonucleases; C509781:Dicer1 protein, mouse; D043244:Ribonuclease III; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases