title: Stem cell factor/c-Kit signaling in in vitro cultures supports early mouse embryonic development by accelerating proliferation via a mechanism involving Akt-downstream genes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  stem cell factor (SCF)/c-Kit regulates the proliferation and survival of germ cells or stem cells; however, little is known about the role of SCF/c-Kit in pre-implantation embryo development.
  
  
  METHODS
  using exogenous SCF supplementation and c-Kit siRNA injection, we investigated the role and mechanism of SCF/c-Kit in pre-implantation mouse embryos.
  
  
  RESULTS
  addition of soluble SCF to the culture medium improved blastocyst formation. c-Kit gene silencing reduced the rate of blastocyst formation and delayed embryonic development. The number of proliferating cells in c-Kit gene-silenced blastocysts decreased, whereas the number of apoptotic cells in blastocysts obtained from both experimental and the control groups was not affected. RT-PCR, immunostaining and western blotting revealed that proliferation-related Akt downstream targets were substantially affected by c-Kit gene silencing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SCF/c-Kit signaling through Akt downstream targets is likely involved in mediating the cleavage and proliferation of blastomeres during mouse pre-implantation embryogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Fertility Center, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, 606-5 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-081, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jin Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Eum
authors.forename: Jeoung Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Sun
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Tae Ki
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Kye-Seong
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong Ryul
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D034622:RNA Interference; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt