Principles of Self-Organization of the Mammalian Embryo

Overview

Journal Cell

Publisher Cell Press

Specialty Cell Biology

Date 2020 Dec 11

PMID 33306953

Citations 48

Authors

Meng Zhu

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Early embryogenesis is a conserved and self-organized process. In the mammalian embryo, the potential for self-organization is manifested in its extraordinary developmental plasticity, allowing a correctly patterned embryo to arise despite experimental perturbation. The underlying mechanisms enabling such regulative development have long been a topic of study. In this Review, we summarize our current understanding of the self-organizing principles behind the regulative nature of the early mammalian embryo. We argue that geometrical constraints, feedback between mechanical and biochemical factors, and cellular heterogeneity are all required to ensure the developmental plasticity of mammalian embryo development.

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