Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis
06:33

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Published on: June 5, 2018

Essential role for Max in early embryonic growth and development

H Shen-Li1, R C O'Hagan, H Hou

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York 10461 USA.

Genes & Development
|January 20, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Maternal Max protein is crucial for early mouse development, preventing developmental arrest and ensuring embryonic tissue growth. Its depletion leads to severe developmental issues postimplantation.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • The Max gene is a key regulator in the Myc superfamily, essential for cellular processes.
  • Maternal factors play a critical role in supporting early embryonic development before zygotic gene activation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the Max gene in early mammalian development.
  • To determine the impact of Max loss-of-function on embryonic and extraembryonic tissues.

Main Methods:

  • Studying genetically modified mice with loss of Max function.
  • Analyzing embryonic development in vivo and in vitro using blastocyst outgrowths.
  • Assessing cell proliferation via Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation.

Main Results:

  • Loss of Max function caused generalized developmental arrest around embryonic day 5.5-6.5.
  • This arrest was linked to the depletion of maternal Max stores in the developing embryo.
  • Arrested embryos showed reduced size, cytological degeneration, and impaired cell proliferation.

Conclusions:

  • Max is essential for early postimplantation mammalian development.
  • Maternal Max stores are vital for sustaining Myc superfamily function through preimplantation stages.
  • The study highlights the critical role of maternal Max in supporting embryonic growth and survival.

More Related Videos

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation12:59

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation

Published on: February 28, 2021

Isolation of Whole Cell Protein Lysates from Mouse Facial Processes and Cultured Palatal Mesenchyme Cells for Phosphoprotein Analysis07:26

Isolation of Whole Cell Protein Lysates from Mouse Facial Processes and Cultured Palatal Mesenchyme Cells for Phosphoprotein Analysis

Published on: April 1, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Gastrulation01:56

Gastrulation

Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...
Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation01:10

Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation

The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal01:12

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Notch signaling was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, where it is involved in cell lineage differentiation. Notch signaling regulates the maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells or ISCs by controlling the expression of atonal homolog 1 or Atoh1. Atoh1 directs cells to differentiate into secretory cells.
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...