Abstract
Several distinct cell lineages are established during mouse embryogenesis. The trophectoderm and primitive endoderm give rise to extraembryonic structures alone, while the primitive ectoderm becomes the fetus proper1–3. Recent studies suggest that the levels of DNA modification are lower in inactive X chromosomes from extraembryonic tissues than in embryonic and adult somatic tissues. Using HpaII/MspI isoschizomers, Southern blots and cloned probes, we show here that repetitive DNA sequences from all derivatives of the two extraembryonic lineages, trophectoderm and primitive endoderm, are substantially undermethylated compared with primitive ectoderm derivatives. This contrasts with the highly methylated state of these repetitive elements observed in adult somatic tissues. Specific demethylation or inhibition of de novo methylation, or a combination of both mechanisms, may be involved. These findings suggest that elements of gene regulation dependent on DNA modification may be different in extraembryonic cell lineages.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
196,21 € per year
only 3,85 € per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gardner, R. L., Papaioannou, V. E. & Barton, S. C. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 30, 561–572 (1973).
Papaioannou, V. E. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 68, 199–209 (1982).
Gardner, R. L. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 68, 175–198 (1982).
Rossant, J. & Papaioannou, V. E. in Concepts in Early Mammalian Embryogenesis (ed. Sherman, M. D.) 1–35 (MIT Press, Boston, 1977).
Rossant, J. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 33, 991–1001 (1975).
Hogan, B. & Tilly, R. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 45, 107–121 (1978).
Pederson, R. A., Spindle, A. I. & Wiley, L. M. Nature 270, 435–437 (1977).
Takagi, N. & Sasaki, M. Nature 256, 640–642 (1975).
West, J. D., Frels, W. I., Chapman, V. M. & Papaioannou, V. E. Cell 12, 873–882 (1977).
Frels, W. I., Rossant, J. & Chapman, V. M. Devl Genet. 1, 123–132 (1979).
Harper, M. I., Fosten, M. & Monk, M. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 67, 127–135 (1982).
Chapman, V. M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79, 5357–5361 (1982).
Kratzer, P. G., Chapman, V. M., Lambert, H., Evans, R. E. & Liskay, R. M. Cell 33, 37–42 (1983).
Pietras, D. F. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 6965–6983 (1983).
Cheng, S.-M. & Schildkraut, C. L. Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 4075–4091 (1980).
Heller, R. & Arnheim, N. Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 5031–5042 (1980).
Brown, S. D. M. & Dover, G. J. molec. Biol. 150, 441–466 (1981).
Bennett, K. L. thesis, State Univ. New York, Buffalo (1983).
Gardner, R. L. & Rossant, J. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 52, 141–152 (1979).
Manes, C. & Menzel, P. Nature 293, 589–590 (1981).
Jähner, D. et al. Nature 298, 623–628 (1982).
van der Ploeg, L. H. T. & Flavell, R. A. Cell 19, 947–958 (1980).
Müller, R., Slamon, D. J., Tremblay, J. M., Cline, M. J. & Verma, I. M. Nature 299, 640–644 (1982).
Sawyer, M. H., Nachlas, N. E. & Parem, S. Nature 275, 62–64 (1978).
Southern, E. M. J. molec. Biol. 98, 503–517 (1975).
Rossant, J. & Ofer, L. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 39, 183–194 (1977).
Denhardt, D. T. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 23, 641–646 (1966).
Maniatis, T., Jeffrey, A. & Kleid, D. G. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 1184–1188 (1975).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chapman, V., Forrester, L., Sanford, J. et al. Cell lineage-specific undermethylation of mouse repetitive DNA. Nature 307, 284–286 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/307284a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/307284a0
