The mechanism of mouse egg-cylinder morphogenesis in vitro

The number of trophoblast giant cells in outgrowths of mouse blastocysts was determined before, during and after egg-cylinder formation in vitro. Giant-cell numbers rose initially but reached a plateau 12 h before the egg cylinder appeared. A secondary increase began 24 h after egg-cylinder formation. Blastocysts whose mural trophectoderm cells were removed before or shortly after attachment in vitro formed egg cylinders at the same time as intact blastocysts but their trophoblast outgrowths contained fewer giant cells at this time. The results support the idea that egg-cylinder formation in vitro is accompanied by a redirection of the polar to mural trophectoderm cell movement which characterizes blastocysts before implantation. The resumption of giant-cell number increase in trophoblast outgrowths after egg-cylinder formation may correspond to secondary giant-cell formation in vivo. It is suggested that a time dependent change in the strength of trophoblast cell adhesion to the substratum occurs after blastocyst attachment in vitro which restricts the further entry of polar cells into the outgrowth and therefore results in egg-cylinder formation.