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Developmental biology of chick primordial germ cells

Reference	BBS/E/R/03780621
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Helen Sang
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Roslin Institute
Department	The Roslin Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	66,054
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/1998
Duration	12 months

Abstract

The migration of primordial germ cells (pgcs) from the germinal crescent, via the circulation, to the developing gonad in chick embryos has been described in detail. The developmental origin and the genes involved in the early stages of determination of pgcs are less well understood. The aim of this project is to identify molecular genetic markers specific to pgcs, with the potential of identifying markers which recognise pgcs at an earlier stage than is currently possible. Two approaches will be taken. The first will be to isolate the chicken homologue of the mouse oct3/4 gene, the expression of which is restricted to pgcs in developing mouse embryos, but which has not been characterised in the chick. The second approach is to apply the method of differential display to analyse RNA from staged embryos from the first two days of incubation. This method will identify genes whose expression if turned on/increased/decreased during the time at which pgcs are first identifiable. Selected clones isolated by the method and characterised initially by DNA sequencing, will be screened by in situ hybridisation to determine their pattern of expression in relation to the germinal crescent. A greater understanding of the development of pgcs is of particular relevance to the potential isolation and characterisation of chick embryonic stem cells. Characterisation of molecular markers of early pgcs may provide markers for use in the identification and isolation of chick ES cells.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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