mortality/aging
• homozygotes undergo complete degeneration by E9.5
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embryo
• between E7.5 and E8.5, homozygotes exhibit a virtual arrest of embryonic growth and development as a result of dysfunctional maternal-embryonic interactions
• however, in culture, E7.5 mutant embryos progress to a later developmental stage (up to 20 somite pairs vs 8-12 pairs in vivo), forming an extensive, anastomotic plexus of blood vessels in the visceral yolk sac and a regularly contracting heart
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• at E8.5, the cephalic volume is reduced
• however, homozygotes generally exhibit a normal cephalic region and head mesenchyme
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cardiovascular system
• at E8.5, homozygotes typically display a heart with a single chamber instead of two distinct chambers
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• at E8.5, homozygotes fail to exhibit an endocardium, although a normal myocardium is shown to surround the single cardiac chamber
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