In vitro assay system for primordial germ cell development

In mammalian embryos, primordial germ cells (PGCs) are induced in proximal epiblast by BMP signals expressed in extraembryonic tissues 1, and one of the most important downstream key players is Blimp1 2. Blimp1 is known to act as a suppressor of somatic genes' expression in PGC specification process. It is assumed that there are still many unidentified molecules involved in PGC development. However, to analyze gene functions in mammalian embryos by generating knockout animals is labor-intensive, and a more concise way to efficiently identify genes regulating PGC development is desirable.