mortality/aging
• homozygous mutant embryos die a few hours after implantation
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embryo
N |
• homozygotes exhibit normal preimplantation development up to the blastocyst stage
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• homozygotes show random positioning within the uterine crypt
• mutant embryos attach to the uterine epithelium but, instead of the normal mesometrial position of the inner cell mass (ICM), they adhere to the side or to the antimesometrial end of the crypt
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• homozygotes exhibit defective ICM differentiation into the primitive endoderm and its derivative, the visceral endoderm
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• homozygotes lack the layer of primitive endoderm cells that normally faces the yolk cavity in wild-type embryos
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• in vitro, mutant blastocysts hatch, adhere, and form a layer of trophoblast giant cells; however, after prolonged culture, the ICM ceases to grow, no visceral endoderm forms, and the egg cylinder disintegrates
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• mutant embryos display absence of the former blastocele
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• in some homozygous mutant embryos, the ICM disaggregates soon after implantation
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• homozygotes exhibit incomplete trophectoderm-induced decidualization
• mutant blastocysts induce increased capillary permeability but fail to complete a normal uterine reaction
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reproductive system
• homozygotes exhibit incomplete trophectoderm-induced decidualization
• mutant blastocysts induce increased capillary permeability but fail to complete a normal uterine reaction
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