Stem cell factor/c-Kit signaling in in vitro cultures supports early mouse embryonic development by accelerating proliferation via a mechanism involving Akt-downstream genes

• DOI: 10.1007/s10815-010-9449-9
• Publication Date: 2010-06-29T03:39:41Z
• Authors: Jung Jin Lim; Jin Hee Eum; Jeoung Eun Lee; Eun Sun Kim; Hyung Min Chung; Tae Ki Yoon; Kye-Seong Kim; Dong Ryul Lee
• Keywords: Mice, Inbred ICR; Stem Cell Factor; 0303 health sciences; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Down-Regulation; Embryonic Development; Apoptosis; 3. Good health; Mice; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; 03 medical and health sciences; Blastocyst; Animals; Female; RNA Interference; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Cell Proliferation; Signal Transduction

stem cell factor (SCF)/c-Kit regulates the proliferation and survival of germ cells or stem cells; however, little is known about the role of SCF/c-Kit in pre-implantation embryo development.using exogenous SCF supplementation and c-Kit siRNA injection, we investigated the role and mechanism of SCF/c-Kit in pre-implantation mouse embryos.addition of soluble SCF to the culture medium improved blastocyst formation. c-Kit gene silencing reduced the rate of blastocyst formation and delayed embryonic development. The number of proliferating cells in c-Kit gene-silenced blastocysts decreased, whereas the number of apoptotic cells in blastocysts obtained from both experimental and the control groups was not affected. RT-PCR, immunostaining and western blotting revealed that proliferation-related Akt downstream targets were substantially affected by c-Kit gene silencing.SCF/c-Kit signaling through Akt downstream targets is likely involved in mediating the cleavage and proliferation of blastomeres during mouse pre-implantation embryogenesis.