HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

 

Review

Primordial germ cell specification: the importance of being ‘blimped’

Susana M. Chuva de Sousa Lopes1 and Bernard A.J. Roelen2

1Hubrecht Institute, Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, CT Utrecht, The Netherlands and 2Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Offprint requests to: Susana M. Chuva de Sousa Lopes, Hubrecht Institute, Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, Uppsalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands. e-mail: smc80@cam.ac.uk


Summary. In mouse embryos, the expression of Blimp1 has recently revealed a population of allocated primordial germ cell precursors 24 hours earlier than previously thought. Those ‘blimped’ precursors have been shown to give rise, by mitotic division, to germ cells only and no other cell lineages. Here, we try to understand the events that lead to Blimp1 expression in the primordial germ cell precursors and speculate on what can be the role of Blimp1 during primordial germ cell specification and gastrulation in the mouse. Finally, we discuss the possible involvement of Blimp1 in the two know modes of germ line segregation (epigenesis and preformation). Histol Histopathol 23, 1553-1561 (2008)

Key words: Blimp1, Primordial germ cell, Embryo, Mouse, Mammals

DOI: 10.14670/HH-23.1553