Live imaging of whole mouse embryos during gastrulation: migration analyses of epiblast and mesodermal cells

PLoS One. 2013 Jul 8;8(7):e64506. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064506. Print 2013.

Abstract

During gastrulation in the mouse embryo, dynamic cell movements including epiblast invagination and mesodermal layer expansion lead to the establishment of the three-layered body plan. The precise details of these movements, however, are sometimes elusive, because of the limitations in live imaging. To overcome this problem, we developed techniques to enable observation of living mouse embryos with digital scanned light sheet microscope (DSLM). The achieved deep and high time-resolution images of GFP-expressing nuclei and following 3D tracking analysis revealed the following findings: (i) Interkinetic nuclear migration (INM) occurs in the epiblast at embryonic day (E)6 and 6.5. (ii) INM-like migration occurs in the E5.5 embryo, when the epiblast is a monolayer and not yet pseudostratified. (iii) Primary driving force for INM at E6.5 is not pressure from neighboring nuclei. (iv) Mesodermal cells migrate not as a sheet but as individual cells without coordination.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Movement*
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Tracking
  • Embryo Culture Techniques
  • Embryo, Mammalian / cytology*
  • Gastrulation*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional*
  • Mesoderm / cytology*
  • Mesoderm / metabolism
  • Mice

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 18687902 and 10J00353 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT, http://www.mext.go.jp/english/); the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS, http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/index.html); the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP, http://www.hfsp.org/), and CREST (http://www.jst.go.jp/kisoken/crest/en/index.html). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.