Expression of Ids in Preimplantation Mouse Embryos.

Hong,  Seok Ho; Nah,  Hee Young; Lee,  Young Jin; Lee,  Ji Won; Son,  Young Soo; Chae,  Hee Dong; Kim,  Sung Hoon; Kang,  Byung Moon; Kim,  Chung Hoon

Original Article

Korean Journal of Fertility and Sterility 2004;31(4):201-208.
Published online December 1, 2004.

Expression of Ids in Preimplantation Mouse Embryos.

Seok Ho Hong, Hee Young Nah, Young Jin Lee, Ji Won Lee, Young Soo Son, Hee Dong Chae, Sung Hoon Kim, Byung Moon Kang, Chung Hoon Kim

¹Department of OBGY, College of Medicine, Ulsan University, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
²Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
³Cheong-Ju St. Marys' Hospital, Cheong-Ju, Korea.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The Id family of helix-loop-helix proteins are thought to affect the balance between cell growth and differentiation by negatively regulating the function of basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern of Ids (Id-1,-2,-3, and -4) in preimplantation mouse embryos at mRNA and protein levels. METHODS: Oocytes and preimplantation embryos were collected from reproductive organs of female ICR mice following superovulation. RT-PCR was performed to investigate the mRNA expression patterns of Id genes and their protein were localized by immunofluorescence analysis. RESULTS: Id-1 and Id-3 mRNAs were strongly expressed at the germinal vesicle (GV) oocyte and the blastocyst stages. Id-2 mRNA was expressed throughout preimplantation embryo development, but Id-4 was not expressed. Immunofluorescence showed that Id-1 and Id-2 were predominantly localized in cytoplasmic region, but the immunofluorescence signal of Id-3 was weak throughout preimplantation embryo development. CONCLUSION: These data show for the first time that Ids are expressed in preimplantation mouse embryos and suggest that Ids may play an important role in early preimplantation embryo development and uterine physiological changes.

Key Words: Id; Immunofluorescence; Mouse; Preimplantation embryo