Regulation of Mouse Preimplantation Development: Differential Effects of CZB Medium and Whitten’s Medium on Rates and Patterns of Protein Synthesis in 2-Cell Embryos1

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Abstract
In contrast to Whitten''s medium, CZB medium, which lacks glucose but is supplemented with glutamine, supports development of 1-cell embryos beyond the 2-cell stage for embryos obtained from mice that exhibit the 2-cell block. The molecular basis for this effect, however, is not known. We report that correlated with the ability of CZB medium to support development beyond the 2-cell stage is an enhanced rate of total protein synthesis and higher level of synthesis of proteins that reflect activation of transcription of the embryonic genome when compared to embryos cultured in Whitten''s medium .+-. ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). The overall patterns of protein synthesis of embryos cultured in CZB or Whitten''s medium .+-. EDTA are similar, although the synthesis of the transcription-dependent proteins is markedly delayed in embryos cultured in Whitten''s-EDTA. Last, there are no significant difference in the adenosine 5''-triphosphate (ATP) levels in 2-cell embryos cultured from the 1-cell stage in each of the media.