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The need for enhancers in gene expression first appears during mouse development with formation of the zygotic nucleus.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Martínez-Salas, E; Linney, E; Hassell, J; DePamphilis, ML
Published in: Genes Dev
October 1989

Microinjection of the firefly luciferase gene coupled to a thymidine kinase (tk) promoter provided a quantitative assay to evaluate the requirements for gene expression in individual mouse oocytes and embryos. Polyoma virus (PyV) enhancers had no effect on the level of gene expression or competition for transcription factors as long as the DNA remained either in the oocyte germinal vesicle or the pronuclei of one-cell embryos. Expression of injected genes could be observed in pronuclei because the signal that normally triggers zygotic gene expression in two-cell embryos still occurred in one-cell embryos arrested in S phase. However, when the tk promoter was injected into zygotic nuclei of two-cell embryos, enhancers increased the number of embryos that expressed luciferase as well as the level of luciferase activity per embryo. PyV enhancer mutation F101, selected for growth in mouse embryonal carcinoma F9 cells, stimulated expression in developing two-cell embryos about seven times better than the wild-type PyV enhancer and competed effectively for factors required for transcription. These results were consistent with the fact that enhancers are required to activate the PyV origin of DNA replication in developing two-cell embryos but not in one-cell embryos. The maximum levels of gene expression in oocytes, one-cell embryos, and developing two-cell embryos (1:67:21) were inversely related to the extent of chromatin assembly, but the need for enhancers was independent of chromatin assembly. Therefore, it appears that the need for enhancers to activate promoters or origins of replication results from some negative regulatory factor that first appears as a component of zygotic nuclear structure.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Genes Dev

DOI

ISSN

0890-9369

Publication Date

October 1989

Volume

3

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1493 / 1506

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Zygote
  • Transfection
  • Thymidine Kinase
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Polyomavirus
  • Plasmids
  • Oocytes
  • Mice
  • Luciferases
  • Gene Expression Regulation
 

Citation

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Martínez-Salas, E., Linney, E., Hassell, J., & DePamphilis, M. L. (1989). The need for enhancers in gene expression first appears during mouse development with formation of the zygotic nucleus. Genes Dev, 3(10), 1493–1506. https://doi.org/10.1101/gad.3.10.1493
Martínez-Salas, E., E. Linney, J. Hassell, and M. L. DePamphilis. “The need for enhancers in gene expression first appears during mouse development with formation of the zygotic nucleus.Genes Dev 3, no. 10 (October 1989): 1493–1506. https://doi.org/10.1101/gad.3.10.1493.
Martínez-Salas E, Linney E, Hassell J, DePamphilis ML. The need for enhancers in gene expression first appears during mouse development with formation of the zygotic nucleus. Genes Dev. 1989 Oct;3(10):1493–506.
Martínez-Salas, E., et al. “The need for enhancers in gene expression first appears during mouse development with formation of the zygotic nucleus.Genes Dev, vol. 3, no. 10, Oct. 1989, pp. 1493–506. Pubmed, doi:10.1101/gad.3.10.1493.
Martínez-Salas E, Linney E, Hassell J, DePamphilis ML. The need for enhancers in gene expression first appears during mouse development with formation of the zygotic nucleus. Genes Dev. 1989 Oct;3(10):1493–1506.

Published In

Genes Dev

DOI

ISSN

0890-9369

Publication Date

October 1989

Volume

3

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1493 / 1506

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Zygote
  • Transfection
  • Thymidine Kinase
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Polyomavirus
  • Plasmids
  • Oocytes
  • Mice
  • Luciferases
  • Gene Expression Regulation