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Nuclear Translocation of Nuclear Factor Kappa B in Early 1-Cell Mouse Embryos¹

^a Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) is a transcription factor that controls the expression of a number of genes under cellular redox potential. It has recently been found that NF-B plays a pivotal role in morphogenesis and embryonic development, e.g., in formation of Drosophila malanogaster ventral structures and chicken limb buds. However, the role of NF-B in preimplantation development in mammals is not yet understood. In this study, we show that RelA, one of the subunits of NF-B, is expressed in mouse eggs and embryos from the metaphase II (MII) oocyte to the blastocyst stage. Therefore, it is thought that RelA is maternally expressed and that it continues to be expressed during preimplantation development. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that RelA protein was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm of embryos, whereas nuclear translocation of RelA, evidence for NF-B activation, was observed only at the early 1-cell stage. Finally we studied the effects of NF-B inhibitors, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and N-acetyl-L-cysteine, on the preimplantation development of mouse embryos. When these inhibitors were added to the culture medium from the early 1-cell stage, subsequent development through the 2-cell stage was inhibited. However, little, if any, influence on the progression through the 2-cell stage was observed when the inhibitors were added at the late 1-cell or the 2-cell stage. Taken together, the results suggest that the activation of NF-B at the early 1-cell stage is required for the development of mouse embryos beyond the 2-cell stage.

¹ This work was supported in part by a research fellowship of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for Young Scientists (to A.N.), and a grant-in-aid for scientific research No. 08406019 and No. 08556045 from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (to M.Y.), Ito Foundation and Association of Livestock Technology (Japan) (to M.Y.).

² Correspondence: Masayasu Yamada, Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan. FAX: 81 75 753 6329; yamada{at}jkans.jkans.kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp

³ Current address: Minase Research Institute, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka, 618-8585, Japan.

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