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Updated: Sep 24, 2025
09:04
Transcriptome Profiling of In-Vivo Produced Bovine Pre-implantation Embryos Using Two-color Microarray Platform
Published on: January 30, 2017
7.9K
PRD-Class Homeobox Genes in Bovine Early Embryos: Function, Evolution, and Overlapping Roles
Thomas D Lewin1, Ali A Fouladi-Nashta2, Peter W H Holland1
1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.
Molecular Biology and Evolution
|May 5, 2022
Summary
Eutherian Totipotent Cell Homeobox (ETCHbox) genes, like ARGFX and LEUTX in cattle, are crucial for blastocyst structure formation. These genes coordinate development and show overlapping functions within species, differing from human roles.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
- Mammalian Embryogenesis
Background:
- Eutherian Totipotent Cell Homeobox (ETCHbox) genes are mammalian-specific PRD-class homeobox genes.
- They exhibit conserved expression in preimplantation embryos but have rapidly evolving sequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of bovine ETCHbox genes, specifically ARGFX and LEUTX, using ectopic expression.
- To understand their roles in blastocyst formation and regulation of developmental genes.
Main Methods:
- Ectopic expression of bovine ARGFX and LEUTX genes.
- Analysis of gene expression changes in blastocyst cells.
- Characterization of a mutant bovine ARGFX allele.
Main Results:
- ARGFX and LEUTX upregulate blastocyst-specific genes, suggesting a role in coordinating blastocyst structure.
- Both genes downregulate early developmental and undifferentiated cell genes, potentially via the JAK/STAT pathway.
- Bovine ARGFX and LEUTX display overlapping functions, unlike their antagonistic roles in humans.
Conclusions:
- ETCHbox genes play a role in coordinating blastocyst physical formation.
- Functional overlap of ETCHbox genes within a species is supported.
- Gene function divergence over evolutionary time is evident for ETCHbox genes.
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