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Strain‐specific progression of α‐amanitin—treated mouse embryos beyond the two‐cell stage
Author(s) -
Rambhatla Lakshmi,
Latham Keith E.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.1080410104
Subject(s) - biology , embryo , zygote , maternal to zygotic transition , human fertilization , transcription (linguistics) , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , strain (injury) , cell , embryogenesis , genetics , andrology , anatomy , medicine , linguistics , philosophy
Mouse embryos produced by the fertilization of eggs from (B6D2)F1 and CF‐1 mice differ in their ability to complete the second cell cycle in the presence of α‐amanitin. Essentially all embryos obtained from CF‐1 mothers arrest at the two‐cell stage when cultured from the late one‐cell stage in α‐amanitin at concentrations that prevent zygotic genome activation, while up to 15% of the embryos obtained from (B6D2)F1 mothers can progress to the three‐ to four‐cell stage. This occurs even at α‐amanitin concentrations that are fivefold greater than that required to prevent gene transcription. We propose that eggs of certain strains of mice may be endowed with greater supplies of macromolecules to support early development and that a percentage of these embryos can complete the second cell cycle in the absence of transcription. This difference may contribute to the strain‐dependent differences in development in vitro. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.