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.

The role of bystin in embryo implantation and in ribosomal biogenesis.

Fukuda MN, Miyoshi M, Nadano D

Cancer Research Center, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA, michiko@burnham.org.

Human bystin was identified as a cytoplasmic protein directly binding to trophinin, a cell adhesion molecule potentially involved in human embryo implantation. Although the trophinin gene is unique to mammals, the bystin gene (BYSL) is conserved across eukaryotes. Recent studies show that bystin plays a key role during the transition from silent trophectoderm to an active trophoblast upon trophinin-mediated cell adhesion. Bystin gene knockout and knockdown experiments demonstrate that bystin is essential for embryonic stem cell survival and trophectoderm development in the mouse. Furthermore, biochemical analysis of bystin in human cancer cells and mouse embryos indicates a function in ribosomal biogenesis, specifically in processing of 18S RNA in the 40S subunit. Strong evidence that BYSL is a target of c-MYC is consistent with a role for bystin in rapid protein synthesis, which is required for actively growing cells.

Published 25 January 2008 in Cell Mol Life Sci, 65(1): 92-9.
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