Embryo model completes gastrulation to neurulation and organogenesis

Abstract

Notably, we demonstrate that the neurulating embryo model assembled from ?x6-knockout ES cells aggregated with wild-type TS cells and iXEN cells recapitulates the ventral domain expansion ofthe neural tube that occurs in natural, ubiquitous ?x6-knockout embryos. [...]these complete embryoids are a powerful in vitro model for dissecting the roles of diverse cell lineages and genes in development. [...]gastrulating and neurulating embryoids offer a powerful, physiologically relevant model of post-implantation embryogenesis. The embryoid, allantois and chorion were contained in a fluid-filled sac, which is equivalent to the yolk sac (Extended Data Fig. 1c). [...]these conditions enabled ETiX embryoids to develop through and beyond gastrulation to neurulation. Cell-type proportion comparisons at the different timepoints between natural embryos and ETiX embryoids showed gross similarity in individual clusters, although some variability was also observed (Extended Data Fig. 1i). [...]neurulating embryoids recapitulate the generation of the multiple tissues of the neurulating embryo, as evident from both their morphology and their pattern of cell-type-specific gene expression.