Figure 2.

During gastrulation, the VE is important for the formation of normal number of PGC precursors. (A) E6.75 Blimp1:gfp embryo showing GFP signal in the VE (white arrows) and in the cluster of PGC precursors (adjacent to asterisks). (B) After 3 days of culture, the total number of Blimp1(GFP)-positive, Stella-positive and TNAP-positive cells were analysed in each explant derived from E6.75 whole and -VE embryos. Red bars depict the median, n is the number of individual explants analysed. (C-J) Explants derived from E6.75 whole (C, D, G, H) and -VE (E, F, I, J) immunostained to detect Blimp1(GFP) and Stella (C-F), followed by staining to detect alkaline phosphatase-activity (G-J). Asterisks depict PGCs, arrows depict small cells that are (Blimp1)GFP- and TNAP-positive, but Stella negative. Scale bar in A is 100 μm and in C-J is 50 μm.