« Back to abstracts page

Shaping the early amniote embryo: a model based on defined cell behaviours

Octavian Voiculescu University College London

Authors

Octavian Voiculescu

Abstract

We have investigated the individual cell behaviours of the epiblast of chick embryos at pre- and gastrula-stages, using high-resolution, multi-photon time-lapse microscopy and functional tests at cellular and molecular level. We show that 1) cell intercalation occurs well before gastrulation in the prospective domain of the primitive streak, and 2) cells in the whole epiblast ingress at a very low rate but show a very strong cooperativity in the primitive streak (hence, ingression is mainly achieved there). A computer model based explicitly on these components should allow to see what their contribution is to the morphogenetic movements in the epiblast at pre-primitive streak stages and during gastrulation. This should also be confronted with the experimental observations in which one of these components is abrogated. The predictions of the model should also help explaining embryological data for which a mechanistic explanation has been elusive.