Deadly decisions: the role of genes regulating programmed cell death in human preimplantation embryo development

Jurisicova, Andrea; Acton, Beth M.

doi:10.1530/rep.1.00241

Cited by 113 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…The variety of tools available for studying mouse genetics make the mouse well suited as a model system and more is likely known about gene regulation in the mouse than any other species. Consequently, the depth and breadth of information in this area are outside the scope of this brief review and the reader is referred to several recent reports [22][23][24][25][26] An area particularly relevant to the study of preimplantation embryo development is imprinting. Animals produced using ART may differ phenotypically from animals produced by natural mating.…”

Section: Use Of the Mouse To Understand Gene Function And Regulation mentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtues and limitations of the preimplantation mouse embryo as a model system

Taft

2008

Theriogenology

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The mouse is the most widely used model of preimplantation embryo development, but is it a good model? Its small size, prolificacy and ease of handling make the mouse a relatively low cost, readily available and attractive alternative when embryos from other species are difficult or expensive to obtain. However, the real power of the mouse as a model lies in mouse genetics. The development of inbred mouse strains facilitated gene discovery as well as our understanding of gene function and regulation while the development of tools to introduce precise genetic modifications uniquely positioned the mouse as a powerful model system for uncovering gene function. However, all models have limitations; the small size of the mouse limits tissue availability and manipulations that can be performed and differences in physiology among species may make it inappropriate to extrapolate from the mouse to other species. Thus, rather than extrapolating directly from the mouse to other species, it may be more useful to use the mouse as a model system for developing and refining hypotheses to be tested directly in species of interest. In this brief review, the value of the preimplantation mouse embryo as a model is considered, both as a model for other species and as a model for the mouse, as understanding the virtues and limitations of the mouse as a model system is essential to its appropriate use.

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Section: Use Of the Mouse To Understand Gene Function And Regulation mentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtues and limitations of the preimplantation mouse embryo as a model system

Taft

2008

Theriogenology

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“…It is generally accepted that the oocyte is in control of early embryogenesis: during early cleavage stages, embryonic development is supported by maternal mRNAs and proteins synthesized and stored during oocyte growth (Fair et al 1995). Inadequate provision of maternal products to the early embryo may lead to delayed embryo development or even embryonic demise (Jurisicova & Acton 2004). Transcripts of genes of Bcl-2 family members are present at different levels in human oocytes, resulting in a different balance in expression of pro-and anti-apoptotic genes, which may shift the oocyte's developmental potential in the direction of either cell death or cell survival (Jurisicova & Acton 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inadequate provision of maternal products to the early embryo may lead to delayed embryo development or even embryonic demise (Jurisicova & Acton 2004). Transcripts of genes of Bcl-2 family members are present at different levels in human oocytes, resulting in a different balance in expression of pro-and anti-apoptotic genes, which may shift the oocyte's developmental potential in the direction of either cell death or cell survival (Jurisicova & Acton 2004). We have recently shown that maternal transcripts of caspase-3 and -7, which play an important role in the caspase cascade of apoptosis, are also expressed in 40 and 30% of bovine oocytes respectively, but we could not demonstrate the presence of active caspases in fresh oocytes (Yuan et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal detection of caspase-3 and -7 in bovine in vitro produced embryos of different developmental capacity

Vandaele

Mateusen²,

Maes³

et al. 2007

Reproduction

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Embryo quality is most frequently evaluated at the blastocyst stage, although quality parameters further back along the developmental axis, such as early developmental kinetics or oocyte quality, can be equally valuable. Despite the fact that previous studies in bovine have linked oocyte diameter and early developmental kinetics with blastocyst formation and viability, their relation with the incidence of apoptosis during embryo development remains relatively unexplored. Therefore, we related noninvasive parameters of oocyte and embryo quality, such as embryo kinetics, embryo morphology, and oocyte diameter, to the incidence of apoptosis throughout embryo development using fluorescent detection of active caspase-3 and -7. First, bovine in vitro embryos were selected according to developmental kinetics and morphology at four set times during culture and subjected to fluorescent detection of active caspase-3 and -7. Caspase activity was significantly higher in slow developing embryos in comparison with fast cleavers (P!0.05), but was not related to embryo morphology. Second, bovine oocytes were divided into three groups on the basis of oocyte diameter and the resulting embryos were used for staining at the same four set times. Caspase activity was significantly higher in embryos derived from growing oocytes compared with those of fully grown oocytes at 45, 80, and 117 hours post-insemination (hpi; P!0.05), but not at 168 hpi. Reproduction (2007) 133 709-718

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“…It has been proposed that apoptosis allows the elimination of ICM cells that retain trophectodermal potential and contributes to the threshold number of ICM cells compatible with a correct development of the embryo (15,19,33). In E4.5 mNle Ϫ/Ϫ blastocysts, ICM cells were shown to degenerate through a caspase 3-dependent apoptotic process.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Murine Ortholog of Notchless, a Direct Regulator of the Notch Pathway in Drosophila melanogaster, Is Essential for Survival of Inner Cell Mass Cells

Cormier

Bras

Souilhol

et al. 2006

Molecular and Cellular Biology

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Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway involved in intercellular communication and is essential for proper cell fate choices. Numerous genes participate in the modulation of the Notch signaling pathway activity. Among them, Notchless (Nle) is a direct regulator of the Notch activity identified in Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we characterized the murine ortholog of Nle and demonstrated that it has conserved the ability to modulate Notch signaling. We also generated mice deficient for mouse Nle (mNle) and showed that its disruption resulted in embryonic lethality shortly after implantation. In late mNle ؊/؊ blastocysts, inner cell mass (ICM) cells died through a caspase 3-dependent apoptotic process. Most deficient embryos exhibited a delay in the temporal down-regulation of Oct4 expression in the trophectoderm (TE). However, mNle-deficient TE was able to induce decidual swelling in vivo and properly differentiated in vitro. Hence, our results indicate that mNle is mainly required in ICM cells, being instrumental for their survival, and raise the possibility that the death of mNle-deficient embryos might result from abnormal Notch signaling during the first steps of development.

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Deadly decisions: the role of genes regulating programmed cell death in human preimplantation embryo development

Cited by 113 publications

References 87 publications

Virtues and limitations of the preimplantation mouse embryo as a model system

Virtues and limitations of the preimplantation mouse embryo as a model system

Temporal detection of caspase-3 and -7 in bovine in vitro produced embryos of different developmental capacity

The Murine Ortholog of Notchless, a Direct Regulator of the Notch Pathway in Drosophila melanogaster, Is Essential for Survival of Inner Cell Mass Cells

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