title: Knockdown of regulator of G-protein signalling 2 (Rgs2) leads to abnormal early mouse embryo development in vitro.
abstract: Regulator of G-protein signalling 2 (Rgs2) is involved in G-protein-mediated signalling by negatively regulating the activity of the G-protein α-subunit. In the present study, the expression patterns of Rgs2 in mouse ovarian tissues and early embryos were determined by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent analyses. Rgs2 expression was observed in the ovarian tissues of adult female mice, with an almost equal expression levels during different stages of the oestrous cycle. Rgs2 was abundant in the cytoplasm, membrane, nuclei and spindles of intact polar bodies in mouse early embryos at different developmental stages from the zygote to blastocyst. The effect of Rgs2 knockdown on early embryonic development in vitro was examined by microinjecting Rgs2-specific short interfering (si) RNAs into mouse zygotes. Knockdown of endogenous Rgs2 expression led to abnormal embryonic development in vitro, with a considerable number of early embryos arrested at the 2- or 4-cell stage. Moreover, mRNA expression of three zygotic gene activation-related genes (i.e. Zscan4, Tcstv1 and MuERV-L) was decreased significantly in 2-cell arrested embryos. These results suggest that Rgs2 plays a critical role in early embryo development.
authors: Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices of National Population and Family Planning Committee, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Zhu
authors: Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices of National Population and Family Planning Committee, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Ya-Hong
authors: YH
authors: Jiang
authors: Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices of National Population and Family Planning Committee, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Ya-Ping
authors: YP
authors: He
authors: Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices of National Population and Family Planning Committee, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Xuan
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices of National Population and Family Planning Committee, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Zhao-Gui
authors: ZG
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors: Man-Xi
authors: MX
authors: Jiang
authors: Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices of National Population and Family Planning Committee, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism*; D020710:RGS Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015053:Zygote / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020710:RGS Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C105345:Rgs2 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; C000588925:Zscan4c protein, mouse