Protein patterns in tissues of fetuses with radiation-induced gastroschisis

We have used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with computer-assisted data analysis to monitor protein expression in the liver of mouse fetuses with and without gastroschisis after X-irradiation of embryos during the 1-cell stage. A significantly higher frequency of changes in protein expression was observed in liver from irradiated fetuses with gastroschisis than from irradiated fetuses without gastroschisis. It was found that the frequency of abnormal protein patterns in the malformed fetuses is higher by approximately a factor of 2. Two proteins showed changes simultaneously in liver, kidney and/or skin of one individual fetus. The changes in protein expression probably result from mutations induced by the radiation exposure of the embryos at the 1-cell stage of prenatal development. We discuss these results in terms of increased mutation frequencies in irradiated fetuses with gastroschisis.