Autocrine regulation of early embryonic development by the artemin-GFRA3 (GDNF family receptor-alpha 3) signaling system in mice

Li, Jing; Klein, Cynthia; Liang, Chenguang; Rauch, Rami; Kawamura, Kazuhiro; Hsueh, Aaron J.W.

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2009.06.050

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Volume 583, Issue 15 , Pages 2479-2485, 6 August 2009

Autocrine regulation of early embryonic development by the artemin-GFRA3 (GDNF family receptor-alpha 3) signaling system in mice

Edited by Ned Mantei

Jing Li
- Program of Reproductive and Stem Cell Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room A344, Stanford, CA 94305-5317Stanford, CA 94305-5317, USA
Cynthia Klein
- Program of Reproductive and Stem Cell Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room A344, Stanford, CA 94305-5317Stanford, CA 94305-5317, USA
Chenguang Liang
- Program of Reproductive and Stem Cell Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room A344, Stanford, CA 94305-5317Stanford, CA 94305-5317, USA
Rami Rauch
- Program of Reproductive and Stem Cell Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room A344, Stanford, CA 94305-5317Stanford, CA 94305-5317, USA
Kazuhiro Kawamura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita, 010-8543, Japan
Aaron J.W. Hsueh
- Program of Reproductive and Stem Cell Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room A344, Stanford, CA 94305-5317Stanford, CA 94305-5317, USA
- Corresponding author. Fax: +1 650 725 7102.

Received 21 May 2009; received in revised form 20 June 2009; accepted 22 June 2009. published online 06 July 2009.

Abstract

Development of early embryos is regulated by autocrine/paracrine factors. Analyzing the expression of polypeptide ligand–receptor pairs using DNA microarray datasets, we identified transcripts for artemin, a member of the GDNF (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor) family, its receptor GFRA3 (GDNF family receptor-alpha 3) and coreceptor RET. Here we report an autocrine/paracrine role of the artemin-GFRA3 signaling system in regulating early embryonic development and apoptosis. Possible involvement of the MAP kinase signaling pathway was also demonstrated. The genome-wide survey of ligand–receptor pairs and early embryo cultures provided a better understanding of autocrine/paracrine embryonic factors important for optimal blastocyst development.

Keywords: Early embryo, Artemin, Receptor, Apoptosis, Blastocyst