title: Expression profile of fatty acid metabolism genes in preimplantation blastocysts of obese and non-obese mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have disclosed a close relationship between maternal obesity, fetal metabolism and pre- and postnatal development. The lipid metabolism in preimplantation embryos is a possible target of metabolic programming.
  
  
  METHODS
  31 genes of beta-oxidation and fatty acid and cholesterol uptake, synthesis and regulation were analyzed in day 3.5 blastocysts from NZO (obese) and C57Bl/6 (normal weight) mice by RT-PCR and semiquantitative PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most obvious difference between both strains was the lack of the RXR gamma transcript in NZO blastocysts. In adult NZO mice, RXR gamma is detectable in most tissues. In a semiquantitative analysis, a higher transcription rate of fatty acid transport protein 4 (p = 0.004) and a reduced transcript number of fatty acid synthase (p = 0.049) was found in NZO blastocysts. Cholesterol synthesis regulation was modified in NZO blastocysts, as indicated by the ratio of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) 2 / insulin-induced gene 1 (Insig 1) (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In mouse blastocysts enzymes and signal molecules of fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism resemble those expressed postnatally. Distinct differences in transcription rates of genes between blastocysts from obese and non-obese mothers indicate that preimplantation embryo development is an early target for metabolic programming.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Martin Luther University Faculty of Medicine, Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelia Alice Irene
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Königsdorf
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Navarrete Santos
authors.forename: Juliane-Susanne
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Sünje
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008820:Mice, Obese; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D047488:Retinoid X Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051782:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; C506119:Insig1 protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D047488:Retinoid X Receptors; D051782:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 2; D002784:Cholesterol; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases