title: Possible involvement of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in hatching and trophectoderm differentiation of pig blastocysts.
abstract: The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays essential roles in the regulation of cell fate and polarity during embryonic development of many animal species. This study investigated the possible involvement of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway during hatching and trophectoderm (TE) development in pig blastocysts. Results showed that β-catenin and DVL3, the key mediators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, disappeared from the nucleus after blastocyst hatching. Specific inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, by Dickkopf-1, increased the rate of blastocyst hatching, total nuclear number per blastocyst, and reduced the ratio of inner cell mass (ICM):TE (P < 0.05). In contrast, specific activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, by lithium chloride, reduced the rate of blastocyst hatching, total nuclear number per blastocyst, and increased the ratio of ICM:TE (P < 0.05). The change in the ICM:TE ratio was associated with the change in the number of TE cells but not the ICM cells. Activation or inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and β-catenin nuclear accumulation, by lithium chloride or Dickkopf-1, also altered the expression of CDX2. These data therefore, suggest the possible involvement of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in regulating hatching and TE fate during the development of pig blastocyst.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biotechnology, Animal Resources Research Center/Bio-Organ Research Center, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Tae
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Mukesh Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yoon Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hoon Taek
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000662:veterinary; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D013552:Swine / Q000196:embryology*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; D018021:Lithium Chloride