title: Unequal distribution of 16S mtrRNA at the 2-cell stage regulates cell lineage allocations in mouse embryos.
abstract: Cell lineage determination during early embryogenesis has profound effects on adult animal development. Pre-patterning of embryos, such as that of Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, is driven by asymmetrically localized maternal or zygotic factors, including mRNA species and RNA binding proteins. However, it is not clear how mammalian early embryogenesis is regulated and what the early cell fate determinants are. Here we show that, in mouse, mitochondrial ribosomal RNAs (mtrRNAs) are differentially distributed between 2-cell sister blastomeres. This distribution pattern is not related to the overall quantity or activity of mitochondria which appears equal between 2-cell sister blastomeres. Like in lower species, 16S mtrRNA is found to localize in the cytoplasm outside of mitochondria in mouse 2-cell embryos. Alterations of 16S mtrRNA levels in one of the 2-cell sister blastomere via microinjection of either sense or anti-sense RNAs drive its progeny into different cell lineages in blastocyst. These results indicate that mtrRNAs are differentially distributed among embryonic cells at the beginning of embryogenesis in mouse and they are functionally involved in the regulation of cell lineage allocations in blastocyst, suggesting an underlying molecular mechanism that regulates pre-implantation embryogenesis in mouse.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Regenerative BiologyGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A303, 190 Kaiyuan Boulevard, Science City, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, ChinaSchool of Life ScienceUniversity of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaState Key Lab for Bio-controlSchool of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China Key Laboratory of Regenerative BiologyGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A303, 190 Kaiyuan Boulevard, Science City, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, ChinaSchool of Life ScienceUniversity of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaState Key Lab for Bio-controlSchool of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Zhuxia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Regenerative BiologyGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A303, 190 Kaiyuan Boulevard, Science City, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, ChinaSchool of Life ScienceUniversity of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaState Key Lab for Bio-controlSchool of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Regenerative BiologyGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A303, 190 Kaiyuan Boulevard, Science City, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, ChinaSchool of Life ScienceUniversity of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaState Key Lab for Bio-controlSchool of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Qinfen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Regenerative BiologyGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A303, 190 Kaiyuan Boulevard, Science City, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, ChinaSchool of Life ScienceUniversity of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaState Key Lab for Bio-controlSchool of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Lele
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Regenerative BiologyGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A303, 190 Kaiyuan Boulevard, Science City, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, ChinaSchool of Life ScienceUniversity of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaState Key Lab for Bio-controlSchool of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China qi_huayu@gibh.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Huayu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001757:Blastomeres / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D012313:RNA