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Reproduction, Fertility and Development Reproduction, Fertility and Development Society
Vertebrate reproductive science and technology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Characterisation of the Hippo signalling pathway during bovine preimplantation embryo development

Jyoti Sharma A and Pavneesh Madan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1008-0588 A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.

B Corresponding author. Email: pmadan@uoguelph.ca

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 32(4) 392-401 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD18320
Submitted: 12 January 2018  Accepted: 18 July 2019   Published: 13 November 2019

Abstract

Blastocyst formation is an important milestone during preimplantation embryo development. During murine preimplantation embryogenesis, the Hippo signalling pathway is known to play a significant role in lineage segregation and henceforth the formation of blastocysts. However, the role of this cell signalling pathway during bovine embryogenesis remains unknown. Thus, the aim of the present study was to characterise the Hippo signalling pathway during bovine preimplantation embryo development. mRNA transcripts of Hippo signalling pathway constituents (i.e. crumbs cell polarity complex component 3 (CRB3), mammalian sterile 20-like 1 (MST1), mammalian sterile 20-like 2 (MST2), Yes associated protein 1 (YAP1), transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ)) were observed during all stages of bovine preimplantation embryo development. To evaluate the localisation of Hippo pathway components, bovine embryos at timed stages of development were stained using specific antibodies and observed under a laser confocal microscope. Although MST1/2 proteins were in the cytoplasm during various stages of bovine embryonic development, TAZ and phosphorylated (p-) YAP were detected in the nucleus during the blastocyst stages. Localisation of TAZ and p-YAP proteins was distinct in the bovine compared with mouse model, suggesting that the Hippo signalling pathway is regulated differently in early bovine embryos.


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