Embryonic genes mapped
Understanding how a mammalian embryo develops is directly relevant to clinical practice, and it is important for stem cell research. Unfortunately, aspects of development during the pre-implantation phase remain poorly understood. A major obstacle has been identifying and studying the genes involved, which would allow scientists to describe the molecular processes taking place. The EU-funded MAMMALIANDEVELOPMENT (A systems-level understanding of the novel principle in early mammalian development) project aimed to establish tools and multidisciplinary strategies to overcome this obstacle. Researchers first devised a fluorescence-based screening and live-imaging tool to help identify molecules involved in early mouse development. Genetic screening in early mouse embryos has never been achieved before. They then investigated and described the gene expression profiles of individual cells during pre-implantation development. These advances can now be used as a basis for a systems-level understanding of early mammalian development. To help facilitate this, the project has made the data publicly available. Researchers have also deposited the mouse lines in a biobank known as the RIKEN BioResource Center for access by the scientific community.
Keywords
Embryos, mammalian development, blastocyst, gene expression
