We present evidence for a role for Y-box proteins in both mRNA transcription and translation. We have expressed an oocyte-specific RNA-binding protein (FRGY2) in somatic cells. This protein is normally found together with mRNA in large amounts within the masked maternal mRNA storage particles of Xenopus laevis oocytes. Masked maternal mRNA is believed to be translationally repressed during ooge...

BACKGROUND Maternal plasma mRNA encoded by the PLAC4 gene (placenta-specific 4), which is transcribed from chromosome 21 in placental cells, is a potential marker for the noninvasive assessment of chromosome 21 dosage in the fetus. We evaluated the diagnostic sensitivities and specificities of 2 trisomy 21-screening approaches that use maternal plasma PLAC4 mRNA. METHODS We studied maternal p...

In Drosophila, maternal string mRNAs are stable for the first few hours of development, but undergo specific timed degradation at the cellularisation stage. To determine whether the proteins that control this degradation are maternally or zygotically transcribed, we have used in situ hybridisation to determine the fate of maternal string transcripts in mutant embryos which lack individual chrom...

Depression and anxiety can be severely detrimental to the health of both the affected woman and her offspring. In a rodent model of postpartum depression and anxiety, chronic social stress exposure during lactation induces deficits in maternal care and increases anxiety. Here, we extend previous findings by expanding the behavioral analyses, assessing lactation, and examining several neural sys...

BACKGROUND Placental mRNA was detected in maternal whole blood, raising the possibility of using maternal blood for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. We investigated fetal mRNA detection in maternal whole blood and determined if it offered advantages over maternal plasma analysis. METHODOLOGY The concentrations of placental expressed genes, CSH1, KISS1, PLAC4 and PLAC1 in plasma and whole blood...

BACKGROUND The molecular characteristics of placental RNA circulating in maternal plasma are unknown. We investigated the integrity of circulating placental RNA in maternal plasma and tested the relevance of plasma RNA integrity for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. METHODS Six different placental transcripts and mRNA of the housekeeping gene glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) wer...

The role of maternal dietary zinc supplementation in protecting the embryos from maternal hyperthermia-induced negative effects via epigenetic mechanisms was examined using an avian model (Gallus gallus). Broiler breeder hens were exposed to two maternal temperatures (21°C and 32°C) × three maternal dietary zinc treatments (zinc-unsupplemented control diet, the control diet + 110 mg zinc/kg ino...

During development there is novel expression of NPY mRNA in the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH) and perifornical region (PFR), in addition to the arcuate nucleus (ARH). Furthermore, NPY mRNA levels peak in all regions on postnatal d 16 (P16) and decrease to adult levels by P30. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether NPY and agouti-related protein (AGRP) mRNA expression...