Glycine receptor α4 subunit facilitates the early embryonic development in mice. Issue 1 (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nishizono, Hirofumi; Darwish, Mohamed; Endo, Takaho A; Uno, Kyosuke; Abe, Hiroyuki; Yasuda, Ryohei
• Is Part Of: Reproduction. Volume 159:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 41
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Reproduction -- Periodicals; Reproduction -- Molecular aspects -- Periodicals; Reproduction -- Immunological aspects -- Periodicals; Reproduction -- Endocrine aspects -- Periodicals; Fertility -- Periodicals; Human reproduction -- Periodicals; 571.805
• DOI: 10.1530/REP-19-0312
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1470-1626

Abstract

Abstract : Oviduct fluid is essential for the fertilization and subsequent preimplantation development. Glycine is abundant in oviduct fluid and is reported to be critical for preimplantation development of fertilized eggs in mammals. However, the mechanism by which glycine exerts its action on fertilized eggs is yet to be understood. Here we show that glycine regulates the preimplantation development of mouse fertilized eggs via glycine receptors. Among them, the alpha-4 subunit ( Glra4 ) and the β subunit are expressed in mouse fertilized eggs, and lacking Glra4 inhibits embryonic development to the blastocyst stage, decreases the number of cells in the blastocysts and the litter size. Thus, we identify a novel function of the glycine receptor, which is considered to act mainly as a neurotransmitter receptor, as a regulator of embryonic development and our data provide new insights into the interactions between oviduct milieu and mammalian fertilized egg.