5-Bromodeoxyuridine inhibition of the epiblast competence for primitive streak formation in the young chick blastoderm

The competence of stage XIII chick epiblast which under the influence of an inductive hypoblast is directed to form a normal primitive streak, is affected by 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR). The BUdR-treated epiblast forms an atypical primitive streak and no axial mesoderm. However, a nonorganized mesenchymal layer is formed between the epiblast and the hypoblast, and atypical neural tissue in the epiblast. BUdR interferes neither with hypoblast formation nor with its inductivity even when blastoderms are treated with BUdR as early as uterine stage VIII and later.     

Hypoblast cells of chick pre-streak stage embryos invaded basement membrane analogues in vitro: Implications for hypoblast layer formation

In early chick blastodermal morphogenesis, the hypoblast layer is organized beneath the epiblast and induces an axial structure. However, the origin of hypoblast cells and the mechanism of hypoblast layer formation are poorly understood. We hypothesized that the hypoblast layer is formed by an invasive process across the basement membrane of the juxtaposing epiblast, and tested the idea in vitro . Primary and secondary hypoblast cells from embryos at various pre-streak stages were dissociated into single cells and cultured on reconstituted basement membrane gel, laminin gel or fibronectin gel in the culture medium with or without serum for 24–48 h. As a result, we found that after 24 h of serum-supplemented culture, up to 35% of the hypoblast cells dissolved the gel and made holes on it. Similarly, up to 36% of the hypoblast cells showed invasiveness after 48 h in the serum-free culture. Furthermore, it was observed that Koller's sickle cells, which are regarded to be the progenitors of secondary hypoblast cells, penetrated those gels on which they were seeded. The posterior epiblast cells covering Koller's sickle were also invasive. These results suggest that the presumptive primary hypoblast cells that are known to mingle with epiblast cells invade through the basement membrane to form the hypoblast layer. Furthermore, the present results imply that invasion through the basement membrane may be involved in the formation of Koller's sickle, the anlage of secondary hypoblast.     

The roles of FGF and MAP kinase signaling in the segregation of the epiblast and hypoblast cell lineages in bovine and human embryos

At the blastocyst stage of mammalian pre-implantation development, three distinct cell lineages have formed: trophectoderm, hypoblast (primitive endoderm) and epiblast. The inability to derive embryonic stem (ES) cell lines in a variety of species suggests divergence between species in the cell signaling pathways involved in early lineage specification. In mouse, segregation of the primitive endoderm lineage from the pluripotent epiblast lineage depends on FGF/MAP kinase signaling, but it is unknown whether this is conserved between species. Here we examined segregation of the hypoblast and epiblast lineages in bovine and human embryos through modulation of FGF/MAP kinase signaling pathways in cultured embryos. Bovine embryos stimulated with FGF4 and heparin form inner cell masses (ICMs) composed entirely of hypoblast cells and no epiblast cells. Inhibition of MEK in bovine embryos results in ICMs with increased epiblast precursors and decreased hypoblast precursors. The hypoblast precursor population was not fully ablated upon MEK inhibition, indicating that other factors are involved in hypoblast differentiation. Surprisingly, inhibition of FGF signaling upstream of MEK had no effects on epiblast and hypoblast precursor numbers in bovine development, suggesting that GATA6 expression is not dependent on FGF signaling. By contrast, in human embryos, inhibition of MEK did not significantly alter epiblast or hypoblast precursor numbers despite the ability of the MEK inhibitor to potently inhibit ERK phosphorylation in human ES cells. These findings demonstrate intrinsic differences in early mammalian development in the role of the FGF/MAP kinase signaling pathways in governing hypoblast versus epiblast lineage choices.     

Monensin inhibits the first cellular movements in early chick embryo

Summary In early chick blastoderm at stage XIII, the interaction of the hypoblast with the epiblast triggers on the epiblast the first extensive cellular migrations, which result in formation of the primitive streak, the source of the axial mesoderm. During this period, extracellular material (ECM) is secreted and assembled into an organized network in the extracellular spaces and is implicated in regulating the behaviour of the cells that contact it. The first cellular migrations and inductions are inhibited when early chick blastoderm is treated with the glycosylation-perturbing ionophore monensin. The difference in amount and in organization of ECM between monensin-treated embryos and control embryos is striking. Even blastoderms at stage X, which are essentially free of ECM, show extensive ECM after monensin treatment. Monensin produces a substantial change in the polypeptide pattern with the induction or marked accentuation of multiple charged species (isoforms) of polypeptides different from those present in the control embryos. The interference of monensin with the migration and induction mechanisms is permanent in embryos before the primitive streak (PS) stage, and it seems that the respective signals or the sensitivity of the epiblast/hypoblast cells to them must be very stage specific. Monensin-treated embryos probably secrete abnormal ECM that does not provide the proper conditions for the hypoblast to interact with the epiblast cells.     

The marginal zone and its contribution to the hypoblast and primitive streak of the chick embryo

The marginal zone of the chick embryo has been shown to play an important role in the formation of the hypoblast and of the primitive streak. In this study, time-lapse filming, fate mapping, ablation and transplantation experiments were combined to study its contribution to these structures. It was found that the deep (endodermal) portion of the posterior marginal zone contributes to the hypoblast and to the junctional endoblast, while the epiblast portion of the same region contributes to the epiblast of the primitive streak and to the definitive (gut) endoderm derived from it. Within the deep part of the posterior marginal zone, a subpopulation of HNK-1-positive cells contributes to the hypoblast. Removal of the deep part of the marginal zone prevents regeneration of the hypoblast but not the formation of a primitive streak. Removal of both layers of the marginal zone leads to a primitive streak of abnormal morphology but mesendodermal cells nevertheless differentiate. These results show that the two main properties of the posterior marginal zone (contributing to the hypoblast and controlling the site of primitive streak formation) are separable, and reside in different germ layers. This conclusion does not support the idea that the influence of the posterior marginal zone on the development of axial structures is due to it being the source of secondary hypoblast cells.     

The occurrence of microtubules in the pre-streak chick embryo

Summary Arrays of well developed microtubules were demonstrated in the cells of the pre-streak chick blastoderm. The microtubules occurring subjacent to the lateral plasma membrane of the epiblast cells were arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cell. Those occurring more deeply in these and the hypoblast cells were distributed in a more random fashion. This is the earliest stage in the development of any vertebrate in which microtubules have been described. It is suggested that the presence of microtubules at this stage is related to the separation of the hypoblast cells from the epiblast cells.     

Organelle differentiation in the chick blastoderm during hypoblast formation

Summary The ultrastructure of the chick blastoderm was examined at three developmental stages, from an unincubated single-layered system through hypoblast advancement to full hypoblast formation.With the onset of incubation the nucleolus changes from a loose network of intermingled pars fibrosa and pars granulosa into a compact body with a definite matrix material.The endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and Golgi complex increase in complexity and volume. In blastoderms with a fully developed hypoblast a special asymmetrical endoplasmic reticulum becomes abundant. These data are analysed in relation to similar structural differentiation of the nucleolus, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex and mitochondria in the embryonic development of other vertebrate groups.The above changes in organelle structure are noted in both the epi- and the hypoblast, although these organelles become more abundant in the former. In the intermediate stage no differences are noted between epiblast cells underlined by hypoblast and those of the anterior single-layered region. The above changes in the epiblast must therefore be related to age and not to contact with the advancing hypoblast.Previous studies mentioned in the text seem to indicate that the inducing effect of the hypoblast on the epiblast is exerted after its complete formation and not during its advancement. Our results in the organelle differentiation during hypoblast formation are in accordance with this hypothesis.     

Intercellular contact in the unincubated chick embryo

Summary The unincubated chick blastoderm, which consists of a complete upper epithelial layer of one cell thickness (epiblast) and an incomplete lower layer (hypoblast), was examined with the electron microscope in order to define the types of cell contact present. The terminal contacts between the cells of the epiblast invariably involved several focal tight junctions, but only occasionally involved tight junctions. Desmosomes were not observed in these areas, but were encountered in various phases of development in the deeper contact regions between epiblast cells. This deeper region also showed sporadic focal tight junctions and frequent micropapillae. These micropapillae were also common on the surfaces of hypoblast cells. Intercellular spaces between epiblast and hypoblast cells and within the hypoblast were often wide, narrowing to occasional focal tight junctions. Tight junctions and desmosomes were not observed in association with hypoblast cells. Gap junctions were not observed in any region of the embryo.These observations are discussed in relation to the morphogenetic movements occurring in the forming hypoblast and also the influence of this layer on the subsequent development of the embryo. Comparisons are drawn between the contact morphology in the unincubated blastoderm and that in later stages of development.Supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada.     

An electron-microscopical analysis of embryonic chick tissues explanted in culture

Summary Three types of tissue (hypoblast, germ wall and epiblast) were dissected from early chick embryos and explanted on Falcon plastic dishes. After they had settled and spread, the explants were fixed, usually within 18–24 h after explantation, and sections were cut through the tissue and the Falcon dish. The closeness of the cells to the substrate varied even within the same explant, but the epiblast tended to be closer to the substrate than did the hypoblast or germ wall. Plaques were present in all three tissues in regions where the cell processes contacted the substrate. Extensive desmosomes were visible in the epiblast explants, small desmosomes were present in the germ wall explants, but desmosomes were never seen in hypoblast explants. These differences in cell/substrate and cell/cell morphology are discussed in relation to the different behavioural characteristics of the three tissues. Some mixed cultures were also examined by electron microscopy. When the epiblast was confronted with either hypoblast or germ wall, it underlapped them at the region of contact.     

Hypoblast controls mesoderm generation and axial patterning in the gastrulating rabbit embryo

Gastrulation in higher vertebrate species classically commences with the generation of mesoderm cells in the primitive streak by epithelio-mesenchymal transformation of epiblast cells. However, the primitive streak also marks, with its longitudinal orientation in the posterior part of the conceptus, the anterior-posterior (or head-tail) axis of the embryo. Results obtained in chick and mouse suggest that signals secreted by the hypoblast (or visceral endoderm), the extraembryonic tissue covering the epiblast ventrally, antagonise the mesoderm induction cascade in the anterior part of the epiblast and thereby restrict streak development to the posterior pole (and possibly initiate head development anteriorly). In this paper we took advantage of the disc-shape morphology of the rabbit gastrula for defining the expression compartments of the signalling molecules Cerberus and Dickkopf at pre-gastrulation and early gastrulation stages in a mammal other than the mouse. The two molecules are expressed in novel expression compartments in a complementary fashion both in the hypoblast and in the emerging primitive streak. In loss-of-function experiments, carried out in a New-type culturing system, hypoblast was removed prior to culture at defined stages before and at the beginning of gastrulation. The epiblast shows a stage-dependent and topographically restricted susceptibility to express Brachyury, a T-box gene pivotal for mesoderm formation, and to transform into (histologically proven) mesoderm. These results confirm for the mammalian embryo that the anterior-posterior axis of the conceptus is formed first as a molecular prepattern in the hypoblast and then irrevocably fixed, under the control of signals secreted from the hypoblast, by epithelio-mesenchymal transformation (primitive streak formation) in the epiblast.Edited by D. Tautz     

Depolarized chick blastoderms fail to self-generate bilateral symmetry

Abstract. We have previously shown that when an initial cell suspension of chick epiblastic cells cultured under well- defined conditions to form a flat disk is covered with a normal hypoblast, it can differentiate and generate axial embryonic structures. Almost invariably, the epiblastic cells differentiate into ectoderm neural tissue and endoderm, and in some cases, signs of axial mesoderm are observed as well as differentiation of fairly symmetrical neural tubes. We demonstrate that, when both layers are reaggregated so that a reconstituted epiblastic disk is covered with a disk of aggregated hypoblastic cells, the epiblastic cells differentiate into disorganized neural tissue and unorganized mesoderm but fail to generate an axial system. The problem of self-generating polarity is thus examined, and it is concluded that the polarity which is earlier imprinted upon the chick blastoderm through the action of gravity is indeed necessary for axial development.     

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression in porcine epiblast, hypoblast, trophectoderm and epiblast-derived neural progenitor cells

After fertilization, lineage specification is governed by a complicated molecular network in which permissiveness and repression of expression of pluripotency- and differentiation-associated genes are regulated by epigenetic modifications. DNA methylation operates as a very stable repressive mark in this process. In this study, we investigated the relationship between DNA methylation and expression of pluripotency-associated genes (OCT4, NANOG and SOX2), a trophectoderm (TE)-specific gene (ELF5), and genes associated with neural differentiation (SOX2 and VIMENTIN) in porcine Day 10 (E10) epiblast, hypoblast, and TE as well as in epiblast-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs). We found that OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2 were highly expressed in the epiblast and hypoblast, while VIMENTIN was only highly expressed in the epiblast. Moreover, low expression of OCT4, NANOG, SOX2 and VIMENTIN was noted in the TE. Most CpG sites of OCT4, NANOG, SOX2 and VIMENTIN displayed low methylation levels in the epiblast and hypoblast and, strikingly, also in the TE. Hence, the expression patterns of these genes were not directly related to levels of DNA methylation in the TE in contrast to the situation in the mouse. In contrast, ELF5 was exclusively expressed in the TE and was correspondingly hypomethylated in this tissue. In NPCs, we observed down-regulation of NANOG and OCT4 expression, which correlated with hypermethylation of their promoters, whereas VIMENTIN displayed up-regulation in accordance with hypomethylation of its promoter. In conclusion, DNA methylation is an inconsistently operating epigenetic mechanism in porcine E10 blastocysts, whereas in porcine epiblast-derived NPCs, expression of pluripotency-associated and differentiation genes appear to be regulated by this modification.     

Induction of gastrulation in the chick embryo

Interaction between the epiblast and the primary hypoblast in chick blastula results in induction of the primitive streak (PS) in the epiblast. Alpha-amanitin, a specific inhibitor of poly A-containing RNA synthesis, inhibits formation of the definitive PS. This inhibition is associated with qualitative changes in the pattern of protein synthesis in the hypoblast but not in the epiblast. The protein pattern of the component areas of the epiblast shows increase in some polypeptides after treatment with alpha-amanitin. By contrast, alpha-amanitin resulted in a decrease in synthesis of several polypeptides, which are either undetectable or weakly present in the hypoblast. The alpha-amanitin-sensitive translational products of the embryonic genome that are observed in the hypoblast may have specific functions in the control of PS induction and stabilization.     

The dynamics of antigenic changes in the epiblast and hypoblast of the chick during the processes of hypoblast, primitive streak and head process formation, as revealed by immunofluorescence.

Antisera were prepared to epiblast, primary hypoblast, yolk, yolk entoderm, and extraembryonic yolk sac ectoderm and were submitted to various absorption procedures. The absorbed antisera were used in the indirect immunofluorescent method to stain microscopic sections of developing chick blastoderms at different developmental stages. The antigens revealed by the staining at the periods studied were divided into groups of persistent, nonspecific, and specific antigens. The epiblast does not appear to form or include specific antigens until stage XIII (full hypoblast). The primary hypoblast is the layer which during its formation acquires specificity by the inclusion of antigenic components through a cytoplasmic segregation and probably by one or two waves of appearance of primary hypoblast specific antigens. The inductive role of the hypoblast is discussed in relation to the above antigenic manifestations. The anti-hypoblast and anti-epiblast sera after absorption with yolk were found to be suitable reagents for the detection of morphogenetic movements.     

Appearance of Primordial Germ Cells in Young Chick Blastoderms Cultured in vitro

Appearance of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in young chick blastoderms was investigated by the cultivation of only the epiblast or hypoblast. Presumptive PGCs exist in the epiblast before primitive-streak formation. They translocate gradually to the lower layer during early stages of primitive-streak formation, though substantial number of presumptive PGCs remain in the upper layer. The existing primary hypoblast under the epiblast is dispensable for the further differentiation of the PGCs.     

Reconciling different models of forebrain induction and patterning: a dual role for the hypoblast

Several models have been proposed for the generation of the rostral nervous system. Among them, Nieuwkoop's activation/transformation hypothesis and Spemann's idea of separate head and trunk/tail organizers have been particularly favoured recently. In the mouse, the finding that the visceral endoderm (VE) is required for forebrain development has been interpreted as support for the latter model. Here we argue that the chick hypoblast is equivalent to the mouse VE, based on fate, expression of molecular markers and characteristic anterior movements around the time of gastrulation. We show that the hypoblast does not fit the criteria for a head organizer because it does not induce neural tissue from na?ve epiblast, nor can it change the regional identity of neural tissue. However, the hypoblast does induce transient expression of the early markers Sox3 and Otx2. The spreading of the hypoblast also directs cell movements in the adjacent epiblast, such that the prospective forebrain is kept at a distance from the organizer at the tip of the primitive streak. We propose that this movement is important to protect the forebrain from the caudalizing influence of the organizer. This dual role of the hypoblast is more consistent with the Nieuwkoop model than with the notion of separate organizers, and accommodates the available data from mouse and other vertebrates.     

Immunohistochemical analysis of the segregation process of the quail germ cell lineage

An antiserum against quail 7 day gonadal germ cells was found to react specifically with gonadal germ cells of both sexes. Transverse sections from a range of early quail developmental stages were submitted to the antibody PAP reaction. Blastodiscs from the earliest uterine stages (II to X E.G. & K) reacted very strongly, while the overall reaction gradually decreased in older blastoderms. At stage XIII both epiblast and hypoblast were weakly stained, but some large, PGC-like cells stained intensively. During gastrulation (PS formation) the reaction of the epiblast disappears quicker than that of the hypoblast. The newly formed mesoderm and entoderm do not react at all and the reaction gradually becomes limited mainly to the PGCs and somewhat to the primary hypoblast which is moving into the germinal crescent. The widely spread reaction at the early stages is thus gradually being restricted to the PGCs.     

The sorting-out of thymidine-labelled chick hypoblast cells in mixed epiblast--hypoblast aggregates.

Tritium-labelled disaggregated chick hypoblast cells were mixed with non-labelled epiblast cells and vice-versa. The mixtures were allowed to aggregate in a gyratory shaker and were transferred on to a solid culture medium for further incubation. The aggregates were fixed after various incubation times, sectioned and examined for sorting-out. There was already a tendency to sort out after 10 h of incubation, a process which was completed after 25 h. The hypoblast cells formed a continuous layer adjacent to the vitelline membrane, while the epiblast cells moved out to form the upper external layer. The position of the two layers was normal as far as the substrate and external environment are concerned, and reversed in relation to their relative position to the vitelline membrane. The hypoblast cells tended to migrate to the margins of the aggregate. The latter phenomenon seems to parallel the migration of hypoblast cells towards the extra-embryonal area during the formation of the primitive streak.