MOUSE GASTRULATION - THE FORMATION OF A MAMMALIAN BODY PLAN

The process of gastrulation is a pivotal step in the formation of the Vertebrate body plan. The primary function of gastrulation is the corr ect placement of precursor tissues for subsequent morphogenesis. There is now mounting evidence that the body plan is established through in ductive interactions between germ layer tissues and by the global patt erning activity emanating from embryonic organizers. An increasing num ber of mouse mutants have been described that have gastrulation defect s, providing important insights into the molecular mechanisms that reg ulate this complex process. In this review, we explore the mouse embry o before and during gastrulation, highlighting its similarities with o ther vertebrate embryos and its unique characteristics. (C) 1997 Elsev ier Science Ireland Ltd.