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Mouse Embryonic Development in a Serum-free Whole Embryo Culture System
Published on: March 1, 2014
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Global, Survival, and Apoptotic Transcriptome during Mouse and Human Early Embryonic Development
D Haouzi1,2, I Boumela1,2, K Chebli3
1CHU Montpellier, Institut de Médecine Régénératrice et de Biothérapie, Hôpital Saint-Eloi, Montpellier 34295, France.
Biomed Research International
|December 6, 2018
Summary
Early embryo development relies on survival and cell death signals. This study reveals most gene expression for these pathways is species-specific between humans and mice, with few common genes.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Mammalian embryo preimplantation development is regulated by survival and cell death signals.
- Understanding these molecular mechanisms is limited, and mouse models may not fully represent human development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze global gene expression profiles in early human and mouse embryos.
- To focus on genes regulating apoptotic and survival pathways during preimplantation development.
Main Methods:
- DNA microarray technology was employed to compare gene expression.
- Analyzed gene expression in human and mouse embryos at key preimplantation stages: MII oocytes, embryonic genome activation, and blastocysts.
Main Results:
- Apoptotic and survival pathway genes are expressed in both human and mouse embryos, but expression profiles are largely species-specific.
- Apoptosis-related gene expression was stable in mouse embryos but stage-specific in human embryos.
- CASP3, CASP9, and AIF were the only common apoptosis-related genes across all stages and species. Several novel transcripts were identified for the first time.
Conclusions:
- Significant species-specific differences exist in the regulation of apoptotic and survival pathways during early embryonic development.
- These findings provide new insights into the conserved and divergent mechanisms controlling human and mouse preimplantation development.
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