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Molecular Human Reproduction Vol. 1, NUMBER 1 pp. 1-9, 1995
© European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology 1995

research-article

Cell cycle genes c-mos and cyclin-B1 are expressed in a specific pattern in human oocytes and preimplantation embryos *

O. Heikinheimo1,2, S.E. Lanzendorf1, S.G. Baka3 and W.E. Gibbons1,4

1The Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School 601 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA 2Steroid Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Helsinki PO Box 8, SF-00014, Helsinki, Finland 3Steroid Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Chemistry, University of Helsinki 194 Alexandras Avenue, Athens 11522, Greece

To whom correspondence should be addressed at: 4To whom correspondence should be addressed

Little is known about the molecular mechanisms governing the development of human oocyte and pre-embryo. We characterized the expression pattern of c-mos, cyclin B1 and ß-actin mRNA in oocytes and granulosa cells from human and monkey, and in human early embryos, using both qualitative and semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The proto-oncogene c-mos was expressed in an oocyte-specrfic manner and no mRNA for c-mos could be detected in the granulosa cells. Similarly, strong expression of cyclin-B1 was seen in the oocytes. In human pre-embryos, the expression of cyclin-B1 and p-actin increased from the 6-cell stage onwards, indicating active transcription and thus activation of embryonic genome either at or before the 6-cell stage. The expression of c-mos was transient and very little c-mos mRNA could be detected in the human embryos beyond the 6-cell stage. Thus, both its time-specific and site-specific expression suggest meiosis-spectfic functions for the proto-oncogene c-mos in human oocytes. As judged by the disappearance of c-mos, the maternal pool of mRNA seems to be degraded towards the 6- to 8-cell stage. The transient expression of c-mos and high levels of cyclin-B1 mRNA suggest that mechanisms similar to those found in lower organisms govern the growth and development of the human oocyte and preimplantation embryo.

granulosa cell/oocyte/pre-embryo/reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)/tissue specific gene expression

*Presented in part as an abstract at the 41st annual meeting of the Society for Gynecological Investigation, Chicago, IL, USA, March 22-25, 1994.


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