Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Loss- and Gain-of-function Approach to Investigate Early Cell Fate Determinants in Preimplantation Mouse Embryos
Published on: June 6, 2016
[The role of inducing factors in early embryonic development]
1Department of Zoophysiology, University of Essen, FRG.
Abstract:
In the field of early embryonic induction and differentiation we can observe an exponential increase of research activities over the last three years. The reasons for this rapid exploration are the application of powerful techniques of molecular biology and molecular genetics and the recent accumulation of knowledge about the close functional correlation between growth factors, embryonic induction factors, the products of oncogenes (or proto-oncogenes), and transcription factors. The highly probable role of the cellular and viral oncogenes in regulation of the differentiation and function of normal and malignant cells has stimulated the interest of scientists working on the molecular basis of malignant cell transformation. An excellent model to study mesoderm and neural induction and differentiation on the cellular and molecular level is the embryo of the south African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), which is now a favored vertebrate system in many laboratories.
Related Concept Videos
Cleavage and Blastulation
Determination
Transcription Factors
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins
Combinatorial Gene Control
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

