A novel preimplantation-specific gene Zfp371 is dispensable for early embryonic development

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

We have identified a novel mouse gene Zfp371 that likely encodes a SCAN zinc finger domain and is expressed specifically in preimplantation embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells. The aim of this study was to perform a detailed analysis of its expression pattern and investigate its function in early development. This study showed that Zfp371 is expressed exclusively in preimplantation embryos and ES cells. Zfp371 knockout mice and ES cells from Zfp371 knockout blastocysts were phenotypically normal, but demonstrated numerous random chromosomal deletions. These results indicate that Zfp371 may play a role in genome stability.Our current results suggest that it may be worthwhile investigating the potential role of the human ortholog of mouse ZFP371 in the generation of embryonic chromosomal aberrations.