title: Gastrulation events in the prestreak pig embryo: ultrastructure and cell markers.
abstract: The epithelial versus mesenchymal phenotypes of embryonic ectoderm and mesoderm cells of the prestreak stage pig embryos were examined by electron microscopy and molecular marker analysis. During this period the embryonic disc remained flat or slightly convex while becoming oval or pyriform in shape. Mesenchyme cells expressing vimentin were present between the embryonic disc and the underlying visceral endoderm before a primitive streak (or groove) was apparent. The migration of mesenchyme appeared to occur in lateral and posterior directions from a mass of quiescent cells located in the pointed end of the pyriform embryonic disc that expressed Brachyury; these cells are proposed to be the precursors of the primitive streak and/or form the equivalent of the mouse early gastrula organizer (EGO). Cells with the TEC-1 (or SSEA-1) epitope, the marker most frequently used to characterize pluripotent cells, were initially distributed randomly in the embryonic ectoderm and then were found to localize in an anterior crescent which may contain the precursor cells of ectoderm and neurectoderm. As mitotic figures were found only in the anterior crescent, it is proposed that at least some of these proliferating cells migrate toward the EGO. While cytokeratins were barely detectable in the embryonic ectoderm cells, vimentin expression was supposed to be associated with the migratory capacity of these cells. These findings indicate that the early step of gastrulation, migration of extraembryonic mesoderm, occurs at a prestreak stage during which the embryonic disc becomes polarized. genesis 38:13-25, 2004.
authors.affiliation: Biologie du Développement et Reproduction, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Jouy en Josas, France. flechon@jouy.inra.fr
authors.forename: Jacques-E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fléchon
authors.forename: Jeril
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Degrouard
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fléchon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005775:Gastrula / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D005855:Germ Layers / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016256:Lewis X Antigen