Preimplantation embryology: Expression of leukaemia inhibitory factor receptor subunits LIFRβ and gp 130 in human oocytes and preimplantation embryos

Abstract
The expression of both components of the high-affinity leukaemia inhibitory factor receptor, LIFRβ and glycoprotein 130 (gp 130), was investigated in human oocytes and individual in-vitro cultured preimplantation embryos by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Messenger RNA of both LIFRβ and gp 130 was detected in as little as 1/30 and 1/12 sample equivalents of cDNA respectively, in oocytes (n = 4), 4-cell and expanded blastocyst stage embryos. LIFRβ but not gp 130 transcripts were detected at the 2–8-and 10-cell stages, and in cavitating and hatched blastocysts. In order to exclude a simian origin of these PCR products resulting from the Vero cell line that was used as a feeder during culture to the blastocyst stage, they were digested with restriction endonucleases Taql (LIFRβ) or Kpnl (gp 130). Their human origin was confirmed. The results support an earlier finding of LIFRβ mRNA expression in human blastocysts, and extend these results to earlier stages and oocytes. This is the first report of LIFRβ and gp 130 transcription in human oocytes. Taken together these results demonstrate that transcription of LIFR and gp 130 takes place throughout human preimplantation development, and suggest that functional LIF receptors might be present at these stages. These results further confirm the feasibility of performing mRNA phenotyping of multiplegenes with RNA derived from a single preimplantation stage embryo.

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