Presence of the adenovirus E1A-like activity in preimplantation stage mouse embryos

Abstract

The presence of the adenovirus E1A-like activity in embryonal carcinoma stem cells has been reported. We now show that preimplantation stage mouse embryonic cells allow transcription of the E1A-dependent E2A gene when infected with E1A-deleted mutant dl312, indicating the presence of the E1A-like activity in morulae and blastocysts. Moreover, such activity seems to decrease or disappear at about the time of implantation.