Cleavinger P J, McDowell J W, Bennett K L
Department of Microbiology, University of Missouri-Columbia 65212.
Dev Biol. 1989 Jun;133(2):600-4. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(89)90062-6.
In this report we analyze early zygotic gene expression in the parasitic nematode Ascaris lumbricoides var. suum. Using synchronous populations of early embryonic stages, nuclei were isolated, and in vitro run-off transcription assays were performed. We find transcriptional activity as early as the 4- to 8-cell stage. The percentage of RNA polymerase II activity, as measured in these assays, is greater than 80% of the total transcription at the 60-cell stage. Furthermore, we show that a specific transcript (actin) can be identified in all early stages tested.
