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Transcription in nematodes: early Ascaris embryos are transcriptionally active
P J Cleavinger1, J W McDowell, K L Bennett
1Department of Microbiology, University of Missouri-Columbia 65212.
Developmental Biology
|June 1, 1989
Abstract:
In this report we analyze early zygotic gene expression in the parasitic nematode Ascaris lumbricoides var. suum. Using synchronous populations of early embryonic stages, nuclei were isolated, and in vitro run-off transcription assays were performed. We find transcriptional activity as early as the 4- to 8-cell stage. The percentage of RNA polymerase II activity, as measured in these assays, is greater than 80% of the total transcription at the 60-cell stage. Furthermore, we show that a specific transcript (actin) can be identified in all early stages tested.