Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Germ Layers”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Early endoderm development in vertebrates: lineage differentiation and morphogenetic function.

Gastrulation of the vertebrate embryo culminates in the formation of three primary germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. The endoderm contributes to the lining of the gut and the associated organs. New components of the molecular pathway for endoderm specification have been identified in the zebrafish and Xenopus. In the mouse, the activity of orthologous factors is involved with the allocation and differentiation of the definitive endoderm. Morphogenetic interactions between the endoderm and the other germ layer derivatives are critical for the morphogenesis of head structures and organogenesis of gut derivatives.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

The avian prechordal head region: a morphological study.

The axial mesoderm of the anterior head region was investigated in young chick and quail embryos by light and electron microscopy. Semithin sections showed that the axial head mesoderm consists of the head process and prechordal mesoderm. At the anterior end of the prechordal mesoderm, a group of columnar epithelial cells formed a pit-like structure. The bases of these columnar cells extended to the neural plate, thus limiting the prechordal mesoderm anteriorly. The cells lining the pit-like structure at its anterior end joined a cell accumulation made up of cells of mesenchymal character. Electron microscopy revealed that the columnar cells forming the pit-like structure were covered by a basal lamina which was discontinuous on its anterior aspect. No basal lamina was recognisable between the columnar epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells joining them anteriorly. The columnar epithelial cells bordering the prechordal mesoderm anteriorly were therefore assumed to be part of the endodermal germ layer. In agreement with the findings of other authors, it is proposed to term these axially located columnar cells of the endoderm the prechordal plate and to distinguish them from the prechordal mesoderm arising during gastrulation. For the mesenchymal cell accumulation anterior to the prechordal plate, participation in the formation of the prosencephalic mesenchyme is assumed. This implies that the definitive endodermal germ layer, like the ectodermal one represented by the neural crest, may also be able to contribute to mesenchyme formation in the head.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Pattern of expression of transforming growth factor-beta 4 mRNA and protein in the developing chicken embryo.

Expression of TGF-beta 4 mRNA and protein was studied in the developing chicken embryo using specific cDNA probes and antibodies for chicken TGF-beta 4. Expression of TGF-beta 4 mRNA was detected by day 4 of incubation (Hamburger and Hamilton stage 22, E4) by RNA Northern blot analysis and increased with developmental age until day 12 of incubation (stage 38, E12) where it was detected in every embryonic tissue examined, with expression being highest in smooth muscle and lowest in the kidney. The steady-state level of expression of TGF-beta 4 mRNA remained relatively constant in most embryonic tissues through day 19 (stage 45, E19). In situ hybridization analysis detected TGF-beta 4 mRNA as early as the "definitive primitive streak" stage (stage 4); during neurulation (stage 10), TGF-beta 4 mRNA was detected in all three germ layers, including neuroectoderm. Following neurulation, TGF-beta 4 mRNA was detected in the neural tube, notochord, ectoderm, endoderm, sclerotome, and myotome, but not dermotome at stage 16. By day 6 of incubation (stage 29, E6), TGF-beta 4 mRNA was localized in several tissues including heart, lung, and gizzard. Immunohistochemical staining analysis also showed expression of TGF-beta 4 protein in all three germ layers as early as stage 4 in various cell types in qualitatively similar locations as TGF-beta 4 mRNA. These results suggest that TGF-beta 4 may play an important role in the development of many tissues in the chicken.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Embryonic and uterine development during early pregnancy in pigs.

Comparison of the timing of pig preimplantation development, alterations in the ultrastructure of embryonic germ layers, and cytological changes of the uterine epithelial cells leads to the supposition that a close relationship exists between embryonic and uterine development during early pregnancy. The results of in-vitro studies of embryonic development and of experiments concerning asynchrony between embryos and uterine environment confirm this supposition, especially as far as the post-hatching period is concerned. It is suggested that successive steps in embryonic germ layer differentiation may induce specific developmental events and secretory activity of the embryos. A mutual influence of maternal and embryonic tissues appears to exist, but we can only speculate about the causes of many of the described phenomena.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Differentiation of monkey embryonic stem cells into neural lineages.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are self-renewing, pluripotent, and capable of differentiating into all of the cell types found in the adult body. Therefore, they have the potential to replace degenerated or damaged cells, including those in the central nervous system. For ES cell-based therapy to become a clinical reality, translational research involving nonhuman primates is essential. Here, we report monkey ES cell differentiation into embryoid bodies (EBs), neural progenitor cells (NPCs), and committed neural phenotypes. The ES cells were aggregated in hanging drops to form EBs. The EBs were then plated onto adhesive surfaces in a serum-free medium to form NPCs and expanded in serum-free medium containing fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 before neural differentiation was induced. Cells were characterized at each step by immunocytochemistry for the presence of specific markers. The majority of cells in complex/cystic EBs expressed antigens (alpha-fetal protein, cardiac troponin I, and vimentin) representative of all three embryonic germ layers. Greater than 70% of the expanded cell populations expressed antigenic markers (nestin and musashi1) for NPCs. After removal of FGF-2, approximately 70% of the NPCs differentiated into neuronal phenotypes expressing either microtubule-associated protein-2C (MAP2C) or neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN), and approximately 28% differentiated into glial cell types expressing glial fibrillary acidic protein. Small populations of MAP2C/NeuN-positive cells also expressed tyrosine hydroxylase (approximately 4%) or choline acetyltransferase (approximately 13%). These results suggest that monkey ES cells spontaneously differentiate into cells of all three germ layers, can be induced and maintained as NPCs, and can be further differentiated into committed neural lineages, including putative neurons and glial cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Isolation of a primate embryonic stem cell line.

Embryonic stem cells have the ability to remain undifferentiated and proliferate indefinitely in vitro while maintaining the potential to differentiate into derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers. Here we report the derivation of a cloned cell line (R278.5) from a rhesus monkey blastocyst that remains undifferentiated in continuous passage for > 1 year, maintains a normal XY karyotype, and expresses the cell surface markers (alkaline phosphatase, stage-specific embryonic antigen 3, stage-specific embryonic antigen 4, TRA-1-60, and TRA-1-81) that are characteristic of human embryonal carcinoma cells. R278.5 cells remain undifferentiated when grown on mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layers but differentiate or die in the absence of fibroblasts, despite the presence of recombinant human leukemia inhibitory factor. R278.5 cells allowed to differentiate in vitro secrete bioactive chorionic gonadotropin into the medium, express chorionic gonadotropin alpha- and beta-subunit mRNAs, and express alpha-fetoprotein mRNA, indicating trophoblast and endoderm differentiation. When injected into severe combined immunodeficient mice, R278.5 cells consistently differentiate into derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers. These results define R278.5 cells as an embryonic stem cell line, to our knowledge, the first to be derived from any primate species.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Effects of eight growth factors on the differentiation of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells.

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells derived from the inner cell mass of in vitro fertilized human blastocysts. We examined the potential of eight growth factors [basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), activin-A, bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP-4), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), beta nerve growth factor (betaNGF), and retinoic acid] to direct the differentiation of human ES-derived cells in vitro. We show that human ES cells that have initiated development as aggregates (embryoid bodies) express a receptor for each of these factors, and that their effects are evident by differentiation into cells with different epithelial or mesenchymal morphologies. Differentiation of the cells was assayed by expression of 24 cell-specific molecular markers that cover all embryonic germ layers and 11 different tissues. Each growth factor has a unique effect that may result from directed differentiation and/or cell selection, and we can divide the overall effects of the factors into three categories: growth factors (Activin-A and TGFbeta1) that mainly induce mesodermal cells; factors (retinoic acid, EGF, BMP-4, and bFGF) that activate ectodermal and mesodermal markers; and factors (NGF and HGF) that allow differentiation into the three embryonic germ layers, including endoderm. None of the growth factors directs differentiation exclusively to one cell type. This analysis sets the stage for directing differentiation of human ES cells in culture and indicates that multiple human cell types may be enriched in vitro by specific factors.

Cell Differentiation↗
PubMed1999

Developmental competence of the gut endoderm: genetic potentiation by GATA and HNF3/fork head proteins.

A long-standing problem in developmental biology has been to understand how the embryonic germ layers gain the competence to differentiate into distinct cell types. Genetic studies have shown that members of the GATA and HNF3/fork head transcription factor families are essential for the formation and differentiation of gut endoderm tissues in worms, flies, and mammals. Recent in vivo footprinting studies have shown that GATA and HNF3 binding sites in chromatin are occupied on a silent gene in endoderm that has the potential to be activated solely in that germ layer. These and other data indicate that these evolutionarily conserved factors help impart the competence of a gene to be activated in development, a phenomenon called genetic potentiation. The mechanistic implications of genetic potentiation and its general significance are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Intestinal growth and differentiation in zebrafish.

Intestinal development in amniotes is driven by interactions between progenitor cells derived from the three primary germ layers. Genetic analyses and gene targeting experiments in zebrafish offer a novel approach to dissect such interactions at a molecular level. Here we show that intestinal anatomy and architecture in zebrafish closely resembles the anatomy and architecture of the mammalian small intestine. The zebrafish intestine is regionalized and the various segments can be identified by epithelial markers whose expression is already segregated at the onset of intestinal differentiation. Differentiation of cells derived from the three primary germ layers begins more or less contemporaneously, and is preceded by a stage in which there is rapid cell proliferation and maturation of epithelial cell polarization. Analysis of zebrafish mutants with altered epithelial survival reveals that seemingly related single gene defects have different effects on epithelial differentiation and smooth muscle and enteric nervous system development.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

An optimized embryonic stem cell model for consistent gene expression and developmental studies: a fundamental study.

In vitro differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells results in generation of tissue-specific somatic cells and may represent a powerful tool for general understanding of cellular differentiation and development in vivo. Culturing of most ES cell lines requires murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEF), which may influence adventitiously the genetic differentiation program of ES cells. We compared the expression profile of key developmental genes in the MEF-independent CGR8 ES cell line and in the MEF-dependent D3 ES cell line. Using neomycin-resistant MEFs we demonstrated that MEFs are able to contaminate the D3 ES cells even after removing the MEFs. Subsequently, optimal differentiation conditions were established for the differentiation of CGR8 ES cells into various germ layer cells. Detailed gene expression studies in differentiating CGR8 cells were done by RT-PCR analysis and by microarray analysis demonstrating a general trend of the assessed genes to be expressed either in 3 days- or 10-days old embryoid bodies (EBs) when compared to undifferentiated ES cells. Subsets within the various functional gene classes were defined that are specifically up- or down-regulated in concert. Interestingly, the present results demonstrate that developmental processes toward germ layer formation are irreversible and mostly independent of the culture conditions. Notably, apoptotic and mitochondrial ribosomal genes were down- and up-regulated in 10-days old EBs, respectively, whereas compared to the 3-days old EBs whereas the activity of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 decreased with progressive development. This article defines a platform for ES cell differentiation and gene expression studies.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Microdissection by ultrasonication: application to early chick embryos.

A technique utilizing microdissection by ultrasonication was applied to scanning electron microscopy of chick embryos during the first three days of incubation. Using a tank cleaner operating at 80 kHz, whole embryos immersed in pure acetone were sonicated until fragmentation became evident. At 12 hr incubation disintegration occurred by one second or less. At 18 hr, three sonic bursts of one second each produced only partial fragmentation. All three germ layers retained their original relationships to each other. During the second day of incubation, large pieces of integument were removed and somites began to microdissect after 10-20 seconds of sonication. Late in the third day of incubation, sonication for 1 min or more was required to produce significant microdissection. Living embryos exposed to 0.1% collagenase for 10 min prior to standard fixation fragmented in a different manner. Lamellipodia and filopodia were most sensitive and were largely destroyed. The three major germ layers (ectoderm, endoderm, mesoderm), however, retained their structural integrity and original relationships to each other. Factors contributing to the results reported here include: 1) extracellular fibrils of varying chemical composition, 2) primitive cell junctions, 3) biomechanical stability in the nonfibrillar portions of the extracellular matrix, and 4) effects of technical procedures performed prior to sonication. Sonicated tissues of early embryos reveal features that are difficult to demonstrate in other ways and may be unrecognized in conventional preparations.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Expression of TGF-beta s and their receptors during implantation and organogenesis of the mouse embryo.

The spatial and temporal expression of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) receptors type III, type II, and two types I (ALK-5 and Tsk 7L) and their ligands TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 in postimplantation mouse development were examined using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. With RT-PCR, expression of the signaling TGF-beta receptors (types II and ALK-5) was shown to be absent in isolated germ layers of 6.0-7.5 days postcoitum (dpc) embryos, whereas the type III receptor and Tsk 7L were differentially expressed at these stages. In contrast, all TGF-beta receptor types were expressed at these stages in the pregnant uterus and decidua. TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 transcripts were detected before gastrulation at 6.5 dpc only in the visceral embryonic endoderm, whereas during gastrulation, at 7.5 dpc TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 mRNA was detected in all three germ layers. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry of the expression of the TGF-beta type II receptor confirmed the data obtained by RT-PCR. Furthermore, the type II receptor was detected in the extraembryonic ectoderm of 7.5 dpc embryos. In the embryo proper, TGF-beta type II receptor expression was detected only later in differentiating tissues and developing organs, but not in the brain and neural tube. Since the expression of the type II receptor may essentially determine whether a cell is able to respond to TGF-beta, the results are consistent with the view that TGF-beta s might be implicated in embryo implantation and organogenesis, but are not involved in gastrulation of the embryo.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Derivation and characterization of gut-like structures from embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have a pluripotent ability to differentiate into a variety of cell lineages of all three embryonic germ layers in vitro. The hanging drop culture of ES cell suspension in the absence of leukemia inhibitory factor induces aggregation and differentiation of the cells into simple or cystic embryoid bodies (EBs). After 6 d of hanging drop culture, the resulting EBs are plated onto plastic dishes for the outgrowth culture. At d 21 after outgrowth culture, cell populations of EBs can give rise to three-dimensional gut-like structures that exhibit spontaneous contraction and highly coordinated peristalsis. The gut-like structures have large lumens surrounded by three layers: epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis. Ganglia are scattered along the periphery, and interstitial cells of Cajal are distributed among the smooth muscle cells. The fundamental process of formation of the in vitro organized gut-like structures is similar to embryonic gastrointestinal development in vivo. The EBs at the 6-d egg-cylinder stage may have the potential to regulate developmental programs associated with cell lineage commitment and provide an appropriate microenvironment to differentiate ES cells into enteric derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers and reproduce the gut organization process in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Retinoids signal directly to zebrafish endoderm to specify insulin-expressing beta-cells.

During vertebrate development, the endodermal germ layer becomes regionalized along its anteroposterior axis to give rise to a variety of organs, including the pancreas. Genetic studies in zebrafish and mice have established that the signaling molecule retinoic acid (RA) plays a crucial role in endoderm patterning and promotes pancreas development. To identify how RA signals to pancreatic progenitors in the endoderm, we have developed a novel cell transplantation technique, using the ability of the SOX32 transcription factor to confer endodermal identity, to selectively target reagents to (or exclude them from) the endodermal germ layer of the zebrafish. We show that RA synthesized in the anterior paraxial mesoderm adjacent to the foregut is necessary for the development of insulin-expressing beta-cells. Conversely, RA receptor function is required in the foregut endoderm for insulin expression, but not in mesoderm or ectoderm. We further show that activation of RA signal transduction in endoderm alone is sufficient to induce insulin expression. Our results reveal that RA is an instructive signal from the mesoderm that directly induces precursors of the endocrine pancreas. These findings suggest that RA will have important applications in the quest to induce islets from stem cells for therapeutic uses.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

BMP receptor IA is required in the mammalian embryo for endodermal morphogenesis and ectodermal patterning.

BMPRIA is a receptor for bone morphogenetic proteins with high affinity for BMP2 and BMP4. Mouse embryos lacking Bmpr1a fail to gastrulate, complicating studies on the requirements for BMP signaling in germ layer development. Recent work shows that BMP4 produced in extraembryonic tissues initiates gastrulation. Here we use a conditional allele of Bmpr1a to remove BMPRIA only in the epiblast, which gives rise to all embryonic tissues. Resulting embryos are mosaics composed primarily of cells homozygous null for Bmpr1a, interspersed with heterozygous cells. Although mesoderm and endoderm do not form in Bmpr1a null embryos, these tissues are present in the mosaics and are populated with mutant cells. Thus, BMPRIA signaling in the epiblast does not restrict cells to or from any of the germ layers. Cells lacking Bmpr1a also contribute to surface ectoderm; however, from the hindbrain forward, little surface ectoderm forms and the forebrain is enlarged and convoluted. Prechordal plate, early definitive endoderm, and anterior visceral endoderm appear to be expanded, likely due to defective morphogenesis. These data suggest that the enlarged forebrain is caused in part by increased exposure of the ectoderm to signaling sources that promote anterior neural fate. Our results reveal critical roles for BMP signaling in endodermal morphogenesis and ectodermal patterning.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Expression of Abdominal-B homeoproteins in Drosophila embryos.

The Abdominal-B (Abd-B) gene determines development of the posteriormost segments in Drosophila. Genetic and molecular analysis suggested that it consists of two genetically separable functions that are conferred by two related homeoproteins termed m and r. We have raised an antiserum against Abd-B protein to describe the patterns of Abd-B protein expression during embryonic development. The pattern of r protein expression, as deduced by analysis of Abd-B mutants, is restricted to ps14 and 15 in all germ layers and observes a parasegmental boundary at its anterior margin of expression. In contrast, the pattern of m protein expression is unusual as its level in the ectoderm increases from ps10 to ps13 in parasegmental steps. Its anterior margin of expression is highly dynamic shifting anteriorly across more than 3 parasegments during midembryonic development. Evidently, the control mechanisms of m and r protein expression are considerably different. Moreover, an antibody-positive Abd-B mutant suggests that these differ, in the case of m protein expression, to some extent in individual germ layers.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Telomeres on chromosome 21 and aging in lymphocytes and gingival fibroblasts from individuals with Down syndrome.

Progressive chromosome 21 loss in individuals with trisomy 21 or Down syndrome (DS) is supposedly related to their premature senescence. In addition, the telomere hypothesis of cellular aging involving telomere shortening in normal and accelerated aging in vivo and in vitro is well documented. This study investigated the integrity of two chromosome 21 regions (the 21q telomere and the 21q22.13-q22.2 region) and their relationship with aging by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in lymphocytes and gingival fibroblasts cells. The use of tissues from different germ layers allows detection of mosaicism. Chromosome variations in tissue from the neuroectoderm layer could explain the variable phenotype of DS. This approach is original in the literature. Lymphocyte and gingival fibroblast nuclei from 18 affected individuals aged 5-54 years were analyzed. Although not significant (P = 0.06), analysis from 11 tissue-matched individuals as well as the comparison between lymphocytes and fibroblasts from different subjects (P = 0.05) suggested that lymphocyte cells are more likely to miss 21q telomere signals. Hence, gingival fibroblasts are probably capable of more efficient cell repair, and the occurrence of mosaicism is more related to cell proliferation than to germ layer origin. Investigation of the 21q22.13-q22.2 region from six tissue-matched individuals and from different DS patients revealed no significant differences between the tissues.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Expression of transforming growth factor-beta 2 and beta 3 mRNAs and proteins in the developing chicken embryo.

Specific cDNA probes and antibodies for chicken transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 2 and beta 3 were used to study expression of TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 mRNAs and proteins in the developing chicken embryo. Expression of the mRNAs for both TGF-beta isoforms was detected by day 1.5 of incubation (Hamburger and Hamilton stage 10) by RNA Northern blot analysis and increased with developmental age. Expression of TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 mRNAs was detected in every embryonic tissue examined, with the level of expression of both isoforms being high in heart, brain and muscle and low in kidney and liver. Coordinate unidirectional upregulation of expression of TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 mRNAs occurred in most embryonic tissues with development except the heart, where the steady-state level of expression of TGF-beta 2 mRNA decreased with age, while that of TGF-beta 3 mRNA increased. In situ hybridization analysis detected TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 mRNAs as early as the definitive primitive streak stage (stage 4). During neurulation (stage 10), TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 mRNAs were detected in cells of all three germ layers; TGF-beta 3 mRNA was detected in neurectoderm as well. Following neurulation, TGF-beta 3 mRNA was detected in the neural tube, notochord, ectoderm, endoderm, sclerotome and dermomyotome at stage 16; expression of TGF-beta 2 mRNA was not as prominent as TGF-beta 3 mRNA in these structures. By stage 29, both TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 mRNAs were localized in several tissues including heart, lung, gizzard and feathers. Immunohistochemical staining analysis detected immunoreactive TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 proteins in all three germ layers of stage 4 embryos. Staining for TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 proteins was detected in several cell types and tissues in the early developing embryo frequently in the same locations as TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 mRNAs, with staining for TGF-beta 2 being less intense than TGF-beta 3. However, in some cases, localization of TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 proteins was different from that of the mRNAs, indicating that a complex mechanism of transcription, translation and secretion exits during chicken embryogenesis. These and other results suggest that TGF-beta 2 and beta 3 may play important roles and act through both autocrine and paracrine mechanisms in the development of many tissues in the chicken.

Animals↗