Effect of Genistein on the Temporal Coordination of Cleavage and Compaction in Mouse Preimplantation Embryos

Author: Goval Jean-Jacques   Alexandre Henri  

Publisher: Ashgate Publishing Ltd

ISSN: 0924-3860

Source: European Journal of Morphology, Vol.38, Iss.2, 2000-04, pp. : 88-96

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Abstract

Initially, we investigated the effect of genistein, an inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, on compaction of the mouse embryo since tyrosine phosphorylation of the cadherin-catenins complex was suggested to down-regulate its adhesive function. Genistein prevented cleavage from the 2- to the 4-cell stage in a concentration-dependent manner. The next cleavage is inhibited at all concentrations used. Time course of intercellular flattening is however identical for both control 8-cell embryos and 4-cell arrested embryos. This confirms that compaction takes place according to a biological clock that does not depend on completion of the third cell cycle. Our results also suggest that, since, in contrast to genistein, protein kinases C modulators are known to cause a premature compaction, diacylglycerol-dependent kinases but not protein tyrosine kinases might be upregulators of compaction.