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Intercellular communication in the early human embryo
Author(s) -
Dale B.,
Gualtieri R.,
Talevi R.,
Tosti E.,
Santella L.,
Elder K.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.1080290105
Subject(s) - biology , embryo , microbiology and biotechnology , intracellular , genetics , evolutionary biology
A preliminary study on intercecullar communicative devices in the early human embryo has been made using dye‐coupling techniques and electron microscopy (EM). Lucifer yellow injected into single blastomeres of embryos at the 4‐cell stage up to the late morula stage did not spread to neighbouring cells, indicating that gap junctions and cytoplasmic bridges are not significant pathways for information transfer. Dye spread was first observed in the blastocyst stage, where trophectoderm cells and inner mass cells were shown to be in communication through gap junctions. Studies at the EM level confirmed this finding. Tight junctions and desmosome‐like structures, apparent from the 6‐cell stage onward, were located both peripherally and centrally and were initially nonzonular. The role of intercellular devices in the primary differentiation of the human embryo is discussed.