IN-VITRO ADHESIVENESS OF MOUSE PRIMORDIAL GERM-CELLS TO CELLULAR AND EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX COMPONENT SUBSTRATE

Adhesive interactions with the surrounding cells and extracellular mat rix components are crucial for migration and development of primordial germ cells. The possibility of isolating and culturing such cells fro m the mouse embryo has allowed the initial characterization of their a dhesion properties, and the identification of some adhesion molecules. Furthermore, it has permitted us to obtain indications of the role th at signals from adhesion receptors present on primordial germ cell sur face play in regulating their migration, growth, and possibly differen tiation. In the present review, we summarize this progress with partic ular emphasis on the contribution provided by microscopic studies perf ormed on isolated mouse primordial germ cells cultured on various subs trata. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.