Aberrant migration of primordial germ cells in the Sox 17^<-/-> mouse embryos

Sox （SRY相关的HMG盒子）基因家族是通过其与SRY性别决定基因的高迁移群（HMG）盒子的同源性首次被发现的。在本项目中，我们研究了Sox17在小鼠内胚层中的作用，特别是在原始生殖细胞（PGCs）与原代肠道的相互作用中。PGCs在胚胎原肠形成阶段开始迁移，并通过后肠从尿囊转移到生殖嵴。PGCs最初是高度活动的，但仅限于后肠区域，然后从那里迁移出来并在生殖器脊中积累。然而，Sox17突变体在尿囊周围出现了PGCs的积累。PGCs数量不受Sox17零突变体的影响。因此，我们构建了CAG-EGFP囊胚与sox17 -/- ES细胞的嵌合体，并观察了PGCs与后肠细胞的相互作用。

The Sox (Sryrelated HMG box) gene family was first identified through its homology to the high mobility group (HMG) box of the sex detemininating gene of SRY In this project, we have studied that the role of Sox17 on the mouse endoderm, and especially of interaction between primodial germ cells (PGCs) and primary gut. The migration of PGCs are observed after the gastrulaion stage of the embryo and they have moved from allantois to the genital ridge through hind gut. PGCs are initially highly motile but restricted to the hindgut region, from where they then migrate out and accumulate in the genital ridge. However, the mutant of Sox17 shows the accumulation of PGCs around the allantois. The number of PGCs are not affected by Sox17 null mutant. Therefore, we have generated the chimera between CAG-EGFP blastocyst and Sox 17-/- ES cells, and observed the ineraction of PGCs and hindgut cells.