Characterization of the Visceral Endoderm Components in Early Post-Implantation Mouse Embryo Development: A Dissertation
Authors
Huang, TingtingFaculty Advisor
Jaime Rivera Perez, PhDAcademic Program
Cell BiologyUMass Chan Affiliations
PediatricsDocument Type
Doctoral DissertationPublication Date
2014-02-28Keywords
Dissertations, UMMSMice
Endoderm
Body Patterning
Embryonic Development
Mice
Endoderm
Body Patterning
Embryonic Development
Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Developmental Biology
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Early post-implantation vertebrate embryos are shaped by complex cellular and molecular mechanisms. In mice, the visceral endoderm, an extraembryonic cell lineage that appears before gastrulation, provides several important functions such as nutrition and mechanical protection. My thesis research focused on the role of the visceral endoderm in embryo patterning, a newly discovered function for this tissue. My results showed that an interplay between two subpopulations of visceral endoderm the anterior and posterior visceral endoderm, located on the opposite sides of the developing conceptus, are critical for the establishment of the anteroposterior body axis of the embryo. I also found that senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity delineates the visceral endoderm marking apical vacuole, a lysosomal-like organelle. This however indicates the nutritional function of visceral endoderm cells rather than a senescent population. My studies highlight the fundamental role of extraembryonic tissues in patterning mammalian embryos as opposed to housekeeping roles. They also reveal important difference when conducting studies at the organismal level rather than in cells in culture.DOI
10.13028/M26G63Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/32050Rights
Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved.ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.13028/M26G63