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Early Embryonic Cell Fate Decisions in the Mouse

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The Cell Biology of Stem Cells

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 695))

Abstract

During development, initially totipotent cells of the embryo specialize to form discrete tissue lineages. The first lineages to form in the mouse are the extraembryonic tissues. Meanwhile, cells that do not become extraembryonic retain a pluripotent fate since they can give rise to all the germ layers of the fetus. Pluripotent stem cell lines have been derived from the fetal lineage at several stages of development. Interestingly, multipotent stem cell lines have been derived from the extraembryonic lineages around the same time. Examining the regulation of early embryonic cell fate decisions is therefore a rare opportunity to examine establishment of stem cell progenitors. Classical studies have provided considerable insight into specification of the first three lineages and use of modern molecular and imaging techniques has advanced this field further. Here we describe current understanding of the diverse molecular mechanisms that lead to establishment and maintenance of the first three lineages during mouse development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Goodman Cancer Center, Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A1A3

    Yojiro Yamanaka

  2. Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA

    Amy Ralston

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  1. Yojiro Yamanaka
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  2. Amy Ralston
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Correspondence to Yojiro Yamanaka or Amy Ralston .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Eran Meshorer PhD

  2. Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Kathrin Plath PhD

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Yamanaka, Y., Ralston, A. (2010). Early Embryonic Cell Fate Decisions in the Mouse. In: Meshorer, E., Plath, K. (eds) The Cell Biology of Stem Cells. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 695. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7037-4_1

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