Normal embryonic and germ cell development in mice lacking alpha 1,3-fucosyltransferase IX (Fut9) which show disappearance of stage-specific embryonic antigen 1.

Abstract

Stage-specific embryonic antigen 1 (SSEA-1), an antigenic epitope defined as a Lewis x carbohydrate structure, is expressed during the 8-cell to blastocyst stages in mouse embryos and in primordial germ cells, undifferentiated embryonic stem cells, and embryonic carcinoma cells. For many years, SSEA-1 has been implicated in the development of mouse embryos as a functional carbohydrate epitope in cell-to-cell interaction during morula compaction. In a previous study, alpha 1,3-fucosyltransferase IX (Fut9) exhibited very strong activity for the synthesis of Lewis x compared to other alpha 1,3-fucosyltransferases in an in vitro substrate specificity assay. Fut4 and Fut9 transcripts were expressed in mouse embryos. The Fut9 transcript was detected in embryonic-day-13.5 gonads containing primordial germ cells, but the Fut4 transcript was not. In order to identify the role of SSEA-1 and determine the key enzyme for SSEA-1 synthesis in vivo, we have generated Fut9-deficient (Fut9(-/-)) mice. Fut9(-/-) mice develop normally, with no gross phenotypic abnormalities, and are fertile. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed an absence of SSEA-1 expression in early embryos and primordial germ cells of Fut9(-/-) mice. Therefore, we conclude that expression of the SSEA-1 epitope in the developing mouse embryo is not essential for embryogenesis in vivo.

• Authors: Takashi Kudo, Mika Kaneko, Hiroko Iwasaki, Akira Togayachi, Shoko Nishihara, Kuniya Abe, Hisashi Narimatsu
• Journal: Molecular and cellular biology (Mol Cell Biol) Vol. 24 Issue 10 Pg. 4221-8 (May 2004) ISSN: 0270-7306 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15121843 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• DNA, Complementary
• Isoenzymes
• Lewis X Antigen
• Fucosyltransferases
• galactoside 3-fucosyltransferase

Topics

• Animals
• Base Sequence
• Blastocyst (immunology)
• Chromosome Mapping
• DNA, Complementary (genetics)
• Embryonic and Fetal Development
• Female
• Fucosyltransferases (deficiency, genetics)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
• Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
• Germ Cells (enzymology, immunology)
• In Vitro Techniques
• Isoenzymes (deficiency, genetics)
• Lewis X Antigen (metabolism)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Knockout
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Pregnancy