title: Heat shock induces interferon-TAU gene expression by in vitro-produced bovine blastocysts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The type I interferon (IFN), IFN-tau (τ), is the primary embryonic signal for pregnancy maintenance in ruminants. This study determined the effects of heat shock upon IFN-τ (IFNT) gene expression by bovine blastocysts in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro-produced blastocyst-stage embryos were exposed to 42°C for 4 hr, and mRNA for heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) and IFNT quantified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Heat shock increased both HSP70 and IFNT expression. There was a significant correlation between HSP70 and IFNT transcript levels irrespective of whether a blastocyst had been exposed to heat shock or not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increase in IFNT as a result of heat shock suggests that a proportion of the variation in IFNT expression observed in blastocyst-stage embryos is a response to stress.
authors: SRUC, Edinburgh, UK.
authors: Cristina F
authors: CF
authors: Hickman
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Clinton
authors: Alison
authors: A
authors: Ainslie
authors: Cheryl J
authors: CJ
authors: Ashworth
authors: John A
authors: JA
authors: Rooke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018869:Heat-Shock Response; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C020947:interferon tau
keywords: Embryo; heat shock protein 70; in vitro production