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First published online 19 November 2003
doi: 10.1242/dev.00870

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Cadherin-mediated cell interaction regulates germ cell determination in mice

¹ Department of Molecular Embryology, Research Institute, Osaka Medical Center for Maternal and Child Health, 840, Murodo-cho, Izumi, Osaka, 594-1101, Japan
² Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
³ CREST, JST, Saitama, Japan
⁴ Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: ymatsui{at}lab.mch.pref.osaka.jp)

Accepted 16 September 2003

The germ cell lineage segregates from the somatic cell lineages in early embryos. Germ cell determination in mice is not regulated by maternally inherited germplasm, but is initiated within the embryo during gastrulation. However, the mechanisms of germ cell specification in mice remain unknown. We located precursors to primordial germ cells (PGCs) within early embryos, and show here that cell-cell interaction among these precursors is required for germ cell specification. We found that the expression of a calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule, E-cadherin, is restricted to the proximal region of extra-embryonic mesoderm that contains PGC precursors, and that blocking the functions of E-cadherin with an antibody inhibits PGC formation in vitro. These results showed that E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell interaction among cells containing PGC precursors is essential to directing such cells to the germ cell fate.

Key words: Primordial germ cell, E-cadherin, Cell interaction, Cell fate

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