An investigation of mechanisms underlying mouse blastocyst hatching: a ribonucleic acid sequencing study

<p><strong>Objective</strong> To investigate the regulatory mechanisms and signaling molecules underlying hatching in mouse embryos.</p> <p><strong>Design</strong> Experimental laboratory study using a mouse embryo model.</p> <p><strong>S...

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Main Authors: Liu, Y, Jones, C, Coward, K
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021
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author Liu, Y
Jones, C
Coward, K
author_facet Liu, Y
Jones, C
Coward, K
author_sort Liu, Y
collection OXFORD
description <p><strong>Objective</strong> To investigate the regulatory mechanisms and signaling molecules underlying hatching in mouse embryos.</p> <p><strong>Design</strong> Experimental laboratory study using a mouse embryo model.</p> <p><strong>Setting</strong> University-based basic scientific research laboratory.</p> <p><strong>Animals</strong> A total of 40 B6C3F1 × B6D2F1 mouse embryos were used in this study.</p> <p><strong>Intervention(s)</strong> Frozen/thawed mouse embryos, at the 8-cell stage, were cultured in vitro for 2 days. The resulting hatching and prehatching blastocysts were then used for complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) library preparation and ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing analysis (n = 8 for each group). Differentially expressed genes were then used for downstream functional analysis. In addition, a list of genes related to developmental progression in humans was used to identify genes that were potentially related to the hatching of human embryos.</p> <p><strong>Main Outcome Measure(s)</strong> Differentially expressed genes, enriched Gene Ontology terms and canonical pathways, clustered gene networks, activated upstream regulators, and common genes between a gene list of hatching-related genes in mice and a gene list associated with developmental progression in humans.</p> <p><strong>Result(s)</strong> A total 275 differentially expressed genes were identified between hatching and prehatching blastocysts: 230 up-regulated and 45 down-regulated genes. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that blastocyst hatching in vitro is an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent process that involves protein biosynthesis and organization of the cytoskeleton. Furthermore, by regulating cell motility, the RhoA signaling pathway (including Arpc2, Cfl1, Gsn, Pfn1, Tpi1, Grb2, Tmsb10, Enah, and Rnd3 genes) may be a crucial signaling pathway during hatching. We also identified a cluster of genes (Krt8, Krt7, Cldn4, and Aqp3) that exerted functional roles in cell-cell junctions and water homeostasis during hatching. Moreover, some growth factors (angiotensinogen and fibroblast growth factor 2) and endocrine factors (estrogen receptor and prolactin) were predicted to be involved in the regulation of embryo hatching. In addition, we identified 81 potential genes that are potentially involved in the hatching process in human embryos.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion(s)</strong> Our analysis identified potential genes and molecular regulatory pathways involved in the blastocyst hatching process in mice; we also identified genes that may potentially regulate hatching in human embryos. Our findings enhance our knowledge of embryo development and provide useful information for further exploring the mechanisms underlying embryo hatching.</p>
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spelling oxford-uuid:6a7996e0-2f1a-412d-ba81-3b45756ecde72022-12-22T10:39:03ZAn investigation of mechanisms underlying mouse blastocyst hatching: a ribonucleic acid sequencing studyJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:6a7996e0-2f1a-412d-ba81-3b45756ecde7EnglishSymplectic ElementsElsevier2021Liu, YJones, CCoward, K<p><strong>Objective</strong> To investigate the regulatory mechanisms and signaling molecules underlying hatching in mouse embryos.</p> <p><strong>Design</strong> Experimental laboratory study using a mouse embryo model.</p> <p><strong>Setting</strong> University-based basic scientific research laboratory.</p> <p><strong>Animals</strong> A total of 40 B6C3F1 × B6D2F1 mouse embryos were used in this study.</p> <p><strong>Intervention(s)</strong> Frozen/thawed mouse embryos, at the 8-cell stage, were cultured in vitro for 2 days. The resulting hatching and prehatching blastocysts were then used for complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) library preparation and ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing analysis (n = 8 for each group). Differentially expressed genes were then used for downstream functional analysis. In addition, a list of genes related to developmental progression in humans was used to identify genes that were potentially related to the hatching of human embryos.</p> <p><strong>Main Outcome Measure(s)</strong> Differentially expressed genes, enriched Gene Ontology terms and canonical pathways, clustered gene networks, activated upstream regulators, and common genes between a gene list of hatching-related genes in mice and a gene list associated with developmental progression in humans.</p> <p><strong>Result(s)</strong> A total 275 differentially expressed genes were identified between hatching and prehatching blastocysts: 230 up-regulated and 45 down-regulated genes. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that blastocyst hatching in vitro is an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent process that involves protein biosynthesis and organization of the cytoskeleton. Furthermore, by regulating cell motility, the RhoA signaling pathway (including Arpc2, Cfl1, Gsn, Pfn1, Tpi1, Grb2, Tmsb10, Enah, and Rnd3 genes) may be a crucial signaling pathway during hatching. We also identified a cluster of genes (Krt8, Krt7, Cldn4, and Aqp3) that exerted functional roles in cell-cell junctions and water homeostasis during hatching. Moreover, some growth factors (angiotensinogen and fibroblast growth factor 2) and endocrine factors (estrogen receptor and prolactin) were predicted to be involved in the regulation of embryo hatching. In addition, we identified 81 potential genes that are potentially involved in the hatching process in human embryos.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion(s)</strong> Our analysis identified potential genes and molecular regulatory pathways involved in the blastocyst hatching process in mice; we also identified genes that may potentially regulate hatching in human embryos. Our findings enhance our knowledge of embryo development and provide useful information for further exploring the mechanisms underlying embryo hatching.</p>
spellingShingle Liu, Y
Jones, C
Coward, K
An investigation of mechanisms underlying mouse blastocyst hatching: a ribonucleic acid sequencing study
title An investigation of mechanisms underlying mouse blastocyst hatching: a ribonucleic acid sequencing study
title_full An investigation of mechanisms underlying mouse blastocyst hatching: a ribonucleic acid sequencing study
title_fullStr An investigation of mechanisms underlying mouse blastocyst hatching: a ribonucleic acid sequencing study
title_full_unstemmed An investigation of mechanisms underlying mouse blastocyst hatching: a ribonucleic acid sequencing study
title_short An investigation of mechanisms underlying mouse blastocyst hatching: a ribonucleic acid sequencing study
title_sort investigation of mechanisms underlying mouse blastocyst hatching a ribonucleic acid sequencing study
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