title: Wnt/ß-catenin signalling and the dynamics of fate decisions in early mouse embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells.
abstract: Wnt/ß-catenin signalling is a widespread cell signalling pathway with multiple roles during vertebrate development. In mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells, there is a dual role for ß-catenin: it promotes differentiation when activated as part of the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway, and promotes stable pluripotency independently of signalling. Although mES cells resemble the preimplantation epiblast progenitors, the first requirement for Wnt/ß-catenin signalling during mouse development has been reported at implantation [1,2]. The relationship between ß-catenin and pluripotency and that of mES cells with epiblast progenitors suggests that ß-catenin might have a functional role during preimplantation development. Here we summarize the expression and function of Wnt/ß-catenin signalling elements during the early stages of mouse development and consider the reasons why the requirement in ES cells do not reflect the embryo.
authors: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Muñoz-Descalzo
authors: Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors: Anna-Katerina
authors: AK
authors: Hadjantonakis
authors: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK. Electronic address: ama11@hermes.cam.ac.uk.
authors: Alfonso Martinez
authors: AM
authors: Arias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D054262:Gastrulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Embryogenesis; Mouse; Signalling; Stem cells; Wnt signalling