Effects of Activating Transcription Factor 4 (ATF4) on Porcine Early Embryonic Development

doi:10.11924/j.issn.1000-6850.casb2025-0944

Abstract

Abstract:

This study aims to deeply elucidate the key effect of ATF4 on porcine early embryonic development, laying a theoretical foundation for further exploring the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to quantify ATF4 expression during different stages of porcine parthenogenetic embryo. Furthermore, ATF4 mRNA and ATF4 siRNA were microinjected into the cytoplasm of porcine parthenogenetic embryos, and the effect of ATF4 on porcine early embryonic development was subsequently analyzed by evaluating the embryo development rate. The results indicated that ATF4 expression showed a trend of initially increase followed by a decline across different stages of porcine early embryonic development, with the highest expression level at the 8-cell stage. Cytoplasmic microinjection of 10 pL of 500 ng/μL ATF4 mRNA at 4-5 h post-activation significantly promoted the development of porcine early embryos. Whereas injection of 10 pL of 20 μM ATF4 siRNA suppressed the embryonic development rate. These results indicate that ATF4 effectively alleviate the developmental arrest and promote embryonic development.

Key words: ATF4, pig, embryo, developmental arrest

CLC Number:

S813.3生物技术遗传育种

ZHANG Liping, ZHOU Changfan, ZENG Wei. Effects of Activating Transcription Factor 4 (ATF4) on Porcine Early Embryonic Development[J]. Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin, 2026, 42(20): 133-138.

Figures/Tables 9

References 35

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引物	序列(5’-3’)
ATF4-F	CATTCAGCAGCAGCGTTGCTGTA
ATF4-R	CTGTTGTCTGAGGCACTGACCA
p-GAPDH-F	CGTCCCTGAGACACGATGGT
p-GAPDH-R	GCCTTGACTGTGCCGTGGAAC

引物	序列(5’-3’)
ATF4-F	CATTCAGCAGCAGCGTTGCTGTA
ATF4-R	CTGTTGTCTGAGGCACTGACCA
p-GAPDH-F	CGTCCCTGAGACACGATGGT
p-GAPDH-R	GCCTTGACTGTGCCGTGGAAC

基因	引物序列（5’-3’）
ATF4-F	TTAAACTTAAGCTTGATGGCCGAGATGAGCTTCC
ATF4-R	CTGGACTAGTGGATCCTAGCCTATGTACAAGCACATGC

基因	引物序列（5’-3’）
ATF4-F	TTAAACTTAAGCTTGATGGCCGAGATGAGCTTCC
ATF4-R	CTGGACTAGTGGATCCTAGCCTATGTACAAGCACATGC

siRNA	序列(5’-3’)
si-ATF4-001	CCTTTAGTTTAGAGATACA
si-ATF4-002	CTCAATGCATAAAGGAAGA
si-ATF4-003	GAAGAACGAAGCTCTGAAA