[Repression and derepression of lactate dehydrogenase loci during mouse development]

The ultramicroelectrophoretic method was applied to the study of the lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) spectrum alterations during the developmental phases of mice: ovulated ova--zygote--blastocyte--embryo--oocyte--ovulated ova. Only H-subunits were found in the embryo cells before the 5th day of development. After this M-subunits appeared indicating derepression of LDH-A locus. On the 8th day of the embryonal development deres pression of the LDH-B locus was observed to disappear during the oogenesis, being the result of progressive repression of locus LDH-A. Dictiotena of meios prophase is characterised by active H-subunit synthesis and a gradual decrease of the M-subunit synthesis. During the whole dictiotena phase the LDH-spectrum of the follicular cells was of the M-type.