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Membrane organization in the preimplantation mouse embryo
Journal of Embryology and Experimental Morphology
|December 1, 1985
Summary
Early mouse embryo development reveals molecular differences in cell membranes before visible polarity emerges. This research explores the origins of cellular asymmetry in preimplantation embryos, crucial for understanding epithelial development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The preimplantation mouse blastocyst differentiates into trophectoderm and inner cell mass.
- Cellular divergence originates from contact-dependent polarization at the 8-cell stage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular basis and origin of surface asymmetries in early mouse embryos.
- To understand the membrane/cytocortical organization underlying cellular polarity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized freeze fracture electron microscopy.
- Employed the sterol-binding antibiotic filipin to probe membrane domains.
Main Results:
- Filipin reactivity revealed heterogeneity in membrane/cytocortical organization.
- This molecular heterogeneity may precede observable surface polarity in blastomeres.
Conclusions:
- Surface polarity in trophectoderm and 8-cell stage blastomeres is supported by underlying molecular asymmetry.
- This asymmetry likely originates before overt polarity, offering insights into polarized epithelium assembly.