LOCALIZATION OF ZP3 MESSENGER-RNA IN MOUSE OVARY BY NONRADIOACTIVE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION WITH DIGOXIGENIN-LABELED CDNA

In situ hybridization using digoxigenin-labelled cDNA has dual advanta ges of having high structural resolution and high sensitivity and avoi ding problems associated with the handling of radioactive materials. W e have used this technique to detect and locate mRNA for mouse ZP3 pro tein in paraffin sections of fixed ovaries of newborn and adult mice. Mouse ZP3 mRNA was restricted to the cytoplasm of oocytes. After day 1 6, ZP3 mRNA expression was increasingly restricted to the cytoplasm of the oocyte. Previous work on the distribution of ZP3 mRNA was confirm ed and we were able to show that using non-isotopic in situ hybridizat ion, sensitive and accurate cellular localization was feasible in para ffin embedded mouse ovary.