SNAI1 and SNAI2 are asymmetrically expressed at the 2-cell stage and become segregated to the TE in the mouse blastocyst

PLoS One. 2009 Dec 31;4(12):e8530. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008530.

Abstract

SNAI1 and SNAI2 are transcription factors that initiate Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal cell transitions throughout development and in cancer metastasis. Here we show novel expression of SNAI1 and SNAI2 throughout mouse preimplantation development revealing asymmetrical localization of both SNAI1 and SNAI2 in individual blastomeres beginning at the 2-cell stage through to the 8-cell stage where SNAI1 and SNAI2 are then only detected in outer cells and not inner cells of the blastocyst. This study implicates SNAI1 and SNAI2 in the lineage segregation of the trophectoderm and inner cell mass, and provides new insight into these oncogenes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blastocyst / cytology*
  • Blastocyst / metabolism*
  • Blastomeres / cytology
  • Blastomeres / metabolism*
  • Ectoderm / cytology
  • Ectoderm / metabolism*
  • Embryonic Development / genetics
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Immune Sera
  • Mice
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Protein Transport
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Snail Family Transcription Factors
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Zygote / cytology
  • Zygote / metabolism

Substances

  • Immune Sera
  • Snai1 protein, mouse
  • Snai2 protein, mouse
  • Snail Family Transcription Factors
  • Transcription Factors