Developmental tumours, early differentiation and the transforming growth factor beta superfamily.
Embryonal carcinoma and embryonic stem cells have been very useful models for identifying some of the factors that regulate differentiation in early mammalian development. Here, we present a brief history of their original isolation and characterization and of their later introduction into the Hubrecht Laboratory. We illustrate in a review their contribution to our current understanding of the function of transforming growth factor beta and ligands binding to the receptors of a related factor, activin, in development with some of our own work.
Mummery
C L
CL
Hubrecht Laboratory, Netherlands Institute for Developmental Biology, Utrecht. christin@niob.knaw.nl
van den Eijnden-van Raaij
A J
AJ
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D005810:Multigene Family; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; D011247:Pregnancy; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta