synthetic embryos - dissect roles of cell lineages, study genes in development, and uncover mechanisms of diseases. Flashcards
What was the purpose of the study regarding synthetic embryos?
The purpose of the study was to investigate the development of synthetic embryos from multiple stem cell types, known as ETiX embryoids, and compare them to natural embryos. The study aimed to address the limitations of current technology in understanding the development of synthetic embryos and to provide insights into the functional roles of differentially expressed mRNAs in these embryos.
What are some limitations of current synthetic embryos, such as ETiX embryoids, in replicating the development of certain cell lineages and structures found in natural embryos?
The limitations include the inability to fully replicate the development of certain cell lineages and structures found in natural embryos. For example, while ETiX embryoids display the continued presence of trophoblast precursors and the development of chorion lineages, the extraembryonic lineages derived from the early chorion progenitors (ECP) are largely absent. Additionally, the ECP lineage in ETiX embryoids is not fully developed, as indicated by altered or absent expression of ECP genes and the lack of prolactin gene expression, which suggests that trophoblast giant cells and spongiotrophoblast cells are missing.
What were some limitations of current technology in synthetic embryo development?
The limitations included the inability to accurately predict gene expression in target cell types and the lack of reproducibility in the development of synthetic embryos.
What were some findings of the study regarding synthetic embryo development?
The findings included the successful integration of the tiny sci-RNA-seq dataset with published single-cell sequencing datasets, highlighting differences between well-formed and failed ETiX embryoids. The study also identified correlated cell types between ETiX embryoids and natural embryos using nonnegative least-squares (NNLS) regression. Additionally, the study provided insights into the functional roles of differentially expressed mRNAs in terms of biological processes between natural embryos and ETiX embryoids.
What does the study involve regarding the assembly of mouse embryonic and extraembryonic stem cells
The study involves the assembly of mouse embryonic and extraembryonic stem cells to form an embryo model that develops various structures such as the brain, neural tube, heart, foregut, somite, allantois, primordial germ cells, and yolk sac structures.
