PLoS ONE (Jan 2013)

In vivo function and evolution of the eutherian-specific pluripotency marker UTF1.

  • Masazumi Nishimoto,
  • Miyuki Katano,
  • Toshiyuki Yamagishi,
  • Tomoaki Hishida,
  • Masayoshi Kamon,
  • Ayumu Suzuki,
  • Masataka Hirasaki,
  • Yoko Nabeshima,
  • Yo-ichi Nabeshima,
  • Yukako Katsura,
  • Yoko Satta,
  • Janine E Deakin,
  • Jennifer A Marshall Graves,
  • Yoko Kuroki,
  • Ryuichi Ono,
  • Fumitoshi Ishino,
  • Masatsugu Ema,
  • Satoru Takahashi,
  • Hidemasa Kato,
  • Akihiko Okuda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068119
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 7
p. e68119

Abstract

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Embryogenesis in placental mammals is sustained by exquisite interplay between the embryo proper and placenta. UTF1 is a developmentally regulated gene expressed in both cell lineages. Here, we analyzed the consequence of loss of the UTF1 gene during mouse development. We found that homozygous UTF1 mutant newborn mice were significantly smaller than wild-type or heterozygous mutant mice, suggesting that placental insufficiency caused by the loss of UTF1 expression in extra-embryonic ectodermal cells at least in part contributed to this phenotype. We also found that the effects of loss of UTF1 expression in embryonic stem cells on their pluripotency were very subtle. Genome structure and sequence comparisons revealed that the UTF1 gene exists only in placental mammals. Our analyses of a family of genes with homology to UTF1 revealed a possible mechanism by which placental mammals have evolved the UTF1 genes.