The effect of growth factors on regulating gene expression in the preimplantation mouse embryo was examined, since results of previous experiments revealed a stimulatory effect of exogenously-added growth factors on preimplantation development in vitro. Treatment of early cavitating blastocysts with either 250 pM TGF-alpha or TGF-beta results in changes in the pattern of total protein synthesis as assessed by high-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In some cases, the synthesis of a particular polypeptide is either up- or downregulated by each growth factor, whereas in other instances the synthesis of a polypeptide is modulated by one but not the other growth factor. Use of the mRNA differential display method permitted the identification of genes whose expression is either up- or downregulated by these growth factors. Treatment of mouse blastocysts with either TGF-alpha or TGF-beta results in the increased expression of the b subunit of the F0ATPase. TGF-beta also stimulates the expression of the DNA polymerase alpha. TGF-alpha treatment results in the increase in expression of a gene homologous to the human HEPG2 cDNA, as well as in a decrease in expression of fibronectin.