Rabbit embryos develop as bilaminar discs at gastrulation as in humans and most other mammals, whereas rodents develop as egg cylinders. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) appear to originate during gastrulation according to many systematic studies on mammalian embryos.
The research team led by Dr. Kobayashi shows that rabbit PGC (rbPGC) specification occurs at the posterior epiblast at the onset of gastrulation. Using newly derived rabbit pluripotent stem cells, they show robust and rapid induction of rbPGC-like cells in vitro with WNT and BMP morphogens, which reveals SOX17 as the critical regulator of rbPGC fate as in several non-rodent mammals. The team posits that development as a bilaminar disc is a crucial determinant of the PGC regulators, regardless of the highly diverse development of extraembryonic tissues, including the amnion.
They propose that investigations on rabbits with their short gestation, large litters, and a developmental path in which gastrulation precedes implantation can contribute significantly to advances in early mammalian development.
Cell Reports