Summary
The polypeptides synthesized during the morula stage in the chick embryo are insensitive to transcriptional inhibition by α-amanitin. Protein synthesis seems to depend predominantely, if not exclusively, on the recruitment of maternal mRNA, rather than on embryonic gene expression in chick morula. The morula embryo expresses the heatshock polypeptides when stressed at 43°C. The heat-induced polypeptides are isoforms of polypeptides that are synthesized normally. These polypeptides are α-amanitin sensitive and appear to mark the first major expression of the embryonic genome in the chick embryo.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Bolton VN, Oades PJ, Johnson MH (1984) The relationship between cleavage, DNA replication, and gene expression in the mouse 2-cell embryo. J Embryol Exp Morphol 79:139–163
Davidson EH (1986) Gene activity in early development. Academic Press, New York
Dura JM (1981) Stage dependent synthesis of heat shock induced proteins in early embryos of Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Gen Genet 184:381–385
Edgar BA, Schubiger G (1986) Parameters controlling transcriptional activation during early Drosophila development. Cell 44:817–877
Eyal-Giladi H, Kochav S (1976) From cleavage to primitive streak formation: a complementary normal table and a new look at the first stages of the development of the chick. I. General morphology. Dev Biol 49:321–337
Graziosi G, Micali F, Marzari R, De Christini F, Savoini A (1980) Variability of response of early Drosophila embryo to heat shock. J Exp Zool 214:141–145
Heikkila JJ, Schultz GA (1984) Different environmental stresses can activate the expression of a heat shock gene in rabbit blastocysts. Gamete Res 10:45–56
Heikiila JJ, Kloc M, Bury J, Schultz GA, Browder LW (1985) Acquisition of the heat-shock response and thermotolerance during early development of Xenopus laevis. Dev Biol 107:483–489
Hewlett S, Miller J, Schultz GA (1983) Induction of heat shock proteins in early embryos of Arbacia punctulata. Biol Bull 165:500
Klog M, Heikkila JJ, Bury J, Browder LW (1983) Stage-dependent synthesis of heat shock protein and its relationship to thermotolerance in Xenopus laevis embryos. J Cell Biol 97:33a
Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during assembly of the head bacteriophage T4. Nature 227:680–685
Lindell TJ, Weinberg F, Morris PW, Roeder RG, Rutter WJ (1970) Specific inhibition of nuclear RNA polymerase II by α-amanitin. Science 170:447–149
Morange M, Diu A, Bensaude O, Babinet C (1984) Altered expression of heat shock proteins in embryonal carcinoma and mouse early embryonic cells. Mol Cell Biol 4:730–735
Newport J, Kirschner M (1982) A major developmental transition in early Xenopus embryos: II. Control of the onset of transcription. Cell 30:687–696
Nickells RW, Browder LW (1985) Region-specific heat-shock protein synthesis correlates with a biphasic acquisition of thermotolerance in Xenopus laevis embryos. Dev Biol 112:391–395
O'Farrell PH (1975) High resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis of proteins. J Biol Chem 250:4007–4021
Roccheri MC, Di Bernardo MG, Giudice G (1981) Synthesis of heat shock proteins in developing sea urchins. Dev Biol 83:173–177
Schlesinger MJ, Ashburner M, Tissieres A (1982) Heat shock: from bacteria to man. Cold Spring Harbor, New York
Sekeris CE, Schmid W (1972) Action of α-amanitin in vivo and in vitro. FEBS Lett 27:41–5
Wittig S, Hensse S, Keitel C, Elsner C, Wittig B (1983) Heat shock gene expression is regulated during teratocarcinoma cell differentiation and early embryonic development. Dev Biol 96:507–514
Zagris N (1977) Translation of endogenous message in embryonic chick erythroid cell polysomes in a cell-free protein synthesizing system. Biochem Genet 15:825–832
Zagris N, Eyal-Giladi H (1982) 5-Bromodeoxyuridine inhibition of the epiblast competence for primitive streak formation in the young chick blastoderm. Dev Biol 91:208–214
Zagris N, Matthopoulos D (1985) Patterns of protein synthesis in the chick blastula: a comparison of the component areas of the epiblast and the primary hypoblast. Dev Genet 5:209–217
Zagris N, Matthopoulos D (1986a) Differential heat shock gene expression in chick blastula. Roux's Arch Dev Biol 195:403–407
Zagris N, Matthopoulos D (1986b) Induction of the primitive streak in the chick blastoderm embryo: patterns of protein synthesis. Roux's Arch Dev Biol 195:80–83
Zagris N, Matthopoulos D (1987) Induction of gastrulation in chick embryo. Dev Genet 8:83–89
Zylber EA, Penman S (1971) Products of RNA polymerases in HeLa cell nuclei. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 68:2861–2865
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zagris, N., Matthopoulos, D. Gene expression in chick morula. Roux's Arch Dev Biol 197, 298–301 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380024
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380024