Postimplantation Development in the Mouse

Postimplantation Development in the Mouse Chairman: A. McLaren 1992 This book contains an in-depth analysis of the state of knowledge of postimplantation development in the mouse. It concentrates on the mouse as an example of mammalian development, but refers to chick, amphibian and Drosophila embryogenesis where these organisms are more amenable to the study of particular problems. The establishment of the germ layers and other cell lineages in the early embryo is described, including details of cell movements during the early stages of primitive streak formation. Patterns of gene expression during the development of several tissues-for example, the central nervous system, the skeletal and muscle systems, and limb bud-are discussed with particular emphasis on commitment to specific cell types. There are chapters on the roles of genes in intercellular signalling and on the need for direct interactions between epithelia and mesenchymal cells in the formation of the kidney and tooth rudiment. These studies all use a combination of classical genetic approaches, cell biology and detailed molecular techniques. Various methods for generating new mutations in known genes or at random are described and their comparative merits are evaluated. Finally, there are discussions of ways of amassing and disseminating the information that is becoming available on gene transcription in mouse embryogenesis, and also the mutated cell lines or mouse embryos themselves. Other Ciba Foundation Symposia: No. 144 Cellular basis of morphogenesis Chairman: L. Wolpert 1989 ISBN 0 471 92306 0 No. 150 Proto-oncogenes in cell development Chairman: T. Hunter 1990 ISBN 0 471 92686 8 No. 160 Regeneration of vertebrate sensory receptor cells Chairman: E. W. Rubel 1991 ISBN 0 471 92960 3