title: Blimp1 and the emergence of the germ line during development in the mouse.
abstract: To elucidate the mechanism for the specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in mice, we have developed and exploited the methods of single cell analysis. Based on these studies, we proposed a molecular program associated with this process, a key event of which is the repression of homeobox genes that are, without exception, upregulated in somatic neighbors. We have now identified Blimp1, a potent transcriptional repressor of a histone methyltransferase subfamily, as a key regulator of PGC specification. Indeed, the unexpected early onset of Blimp1 expression in a few cells at the most proximal-posterior epiblast cells marks the origin of the germ cell lineage. Disruption of Blimp1 function resulted in aberrant PGC-like cells with a deregulated intrinsic gene expression program at a very early stage, which demonstrates that Blimp1 is a critical determinant of the germ line in mice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Mammalian Germ Cell Biology, Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN Kobe Institute, Kobe, Japan. as10021@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mitinori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saitou
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Payer
authors.forename: Donal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Carroll
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohinata
authors.forename: M Azim
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Surani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D000074462:Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C513258:Prdm1 protein, mouse; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000074462:Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1