QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online 15 February 2006
doi: 10.1242/dev.02277

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: dev.02277v1 dev.02277v2 133/6/1059    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Georgiades, P. Articles by Rossant, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Georgiades, P. Articles by Rossant, J.

Ets2 is necessary in trophoblast for normal embryonic anteroposterior axis development

Pantelis Georgiades^1,* and Janet Rossant^1,2,,

¹ Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada.
² Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.

Author for correspondence (e-mail: janet.rossant{at}sickkids.ca)

Accepted 5 January 2006

Although the trophoblast is necessary for the growth, viability and patterning of the mammalian embryo, understanding of its patterning role is still rudimentary. Expression of the transcription factor Ets2 is restricted to the trophoblast in early postimplantation stages and Ets2 mutants have been previously shown to have defects in trophoblast development. We show here that Ets2 is necessary in the trophoblast for fundamental aspects of anteroposterior (AP) epiblast axis initiation, including mesoderm initiation at the primitive streak, establishment of posterior character in the epiblast and appropriate spatial restriction of the anterior visceral endoderm (AVE). Most homozygous Ets2 mutants also show highly reduced development of the trophoblast with an absence of extraembryonic ectoderm (EXE) markers. Embryos in which the EXE has been physically removed before culture in vitro phenocopy the patterning defects of Ets2 mutants. These defects cannot be rescued by providing Ets2 mutants with wild-type epiblast in tetraploid aggregations. Thus, EXE-derived signals are necessary for normal embryonic patterning. Ets2 is likely to be required in the EXE downstream of epiblast signals, such as Fgf, and, in turn, helps to regulate signals from the EXE that signal back to the epiblast to promote proper primitive streak and AVE development. This study provides new insights about the genetic and cellular basis of the patterning role and development of the early trophoblast.

Key words: Ets2, Trophoblast, Anteroposterior axis, Embryo patterning

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Goller, F. Vauti, S. Ramasamy, and H.-H. Arnold Transcriptional Regulator BPTF/FAC1 Is Essential for Trophoblast Differentiation during Early Mouse Development Mol. Cell. Biol., November 15, 2008; 28(22): 6819 - 6827. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Ezashi, P. Das, R. Gupta, A. Walker, and R. M. Roberts The Role of Homeobox Protein Distal-Less 3 and Its Interaction with ETS2 in Regulating Bovine Interferon-Tau Gene Expression-Synergistic Transcriptional Activation with ETS2 Biol Reprod, July 1, 2008; 79(1): 115 - 124. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Chazaud and J. Rossant Disruption of early proximodistal patterning and AVE formation in Apc mutants Development, September 1, 2006; 133(17): 3379 - 3387. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]