Embryology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Embryology, including details on stem cells, reproduction, transplants, cloning.

Diverse patterns of poly(A) tail elongation and shortening of murine maternal mRNAs from fully grown oocyte to 2-cell embryo stages.

Sakurai T, Sato M, Kimura M

Division of Basic Molecular Science and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Bohseidai, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan. sakurai@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp

We previously succeeded in constructing a cDNA library, CPF7, enriched with cDNA derived from maternal RNAs with the extended poly(A) tail in mouse fertilized eggs. In this study, we performed RNA blot analysis to examine the elongation in maternal RNAs using 20 representative clones isolated from CPF7 as probes. Various patterns of elongation, shortening, and/or degradation of maternal RNAs were observed from fully grown oocytes to early 2-cell embryos and could be roughly classified into three types and seven subtypes. These findings indicate that poly(A) elongation and shortening of maternal RNAs are not restricted to certain types of maternal RNAs but occur in many of them, and suggest a complex mechanism governing modification of the 3' end of maternal RNAs during the oocyte-to-embryo transition.

Published 3 October 2005 in Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 336(4): 1181-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Embryology Research Today. All Rights Reserved.