Cell fate decisions and organization in the early mammalian embryo
We study the molecular mechanisms by which single cells acquire distinct fates during development, and communicate with each other and the environment to reproducibly form an embryo with the correct proportions and spatial patterns of different cell types. By understanding how cellular states are controlled in the embryo, we also aim to stably reproduce these states in vitro, in form of novel embryo-derived stem cell types.
We use the preimplantation mouse embryo as an in vivo model system to study these questions in a physiological setting, taking advantage of its small size, low complexity, and ease of experimental manipulation. |
Preimplantation development in the mouse
Three cell types, the epiblast (EPI), the trophectoderm (TE) and the primitive endoderm (PE) arise from two consecutive decisions, and self-organize to construct the blastocyst. EPI cells will give rise to the fetus, while TE and PE cells will make extraembryonic tissues, such as the placenta and the yolk sac endoderm, respectively, to support fetal development following implantation. |
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Live triple-color reporter blastocyst, in which all three cell lineages are differentially visualized by tagging endogenous transcription factors with different reporters (Cdx2 - trophectoderm; Nanog - epiblast; Gata6 - primitive endoderm)
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