Feldman B, Poueymirou W, Papaioannou VE, DeChiara TM, Goldfarb M:
Requirement of FGF-4 for postimplantation mouse development.
Science 1995 Jan 13;267(5195):246-9
ABSTRACT
Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are thought to influence many
processes in vertebrate development because of their diverse sites
of expression and wide range of biological activities in in vitro
culture systems. As a means of elucidating embryonic functions of
FGF-4, gene targeting was used to generate mice harboring a
disrupted Fgf4 gene. Embryos homozygous for the null allele
underwent uterine implantation and induced uterine decidualization
but did not develop substantially thereafter. As was consistent with
their behavior in vivo, Fgf4 null embryos cultured in vitro
displayed severely impaired proliferation of the inner cell mass,
whereas growth and differentiation of the inner cell mass were
rescued when null embryos were cultured in the presence of FGF-4
protein.
