Expression of tumor necrosis factor at a specific developmental stage of mouse embryos

We investigated the expression of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene during development of mouse embryos, and observed its transient expression on Days 9 and 10 of gestation. We also detected a 25-kDa protein showing immunological cross-reactivity with mouse TNF antibody in an extract of 10-day embryos. These results suggest that TNF plays a role in mammalian ontogenesis.