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Mechanisms of the cell migration in the early embryonic development of vertebrates
Kováčiková, Petra ; Krylov, Vladimír (advisor) ; Černý, Robert (referee)
Cell migration, usually seen as a relatively well understood phenomenon, is involved in many aspects of multicellular organisms. While given a major attention due to its part in physiological processes, such as immune response, wound-healing and regeneration, or pathologies like progression of metastatic cancers, its key role in the body plan formation is far less understood and often overlooked. During a process called gastrulation, precursors of three germ layers - superficial ectoderm, inner endoderm and medial mesoderm - are arranged according to their fate, generating a three-layered embryo, a hallmark of triblastic vertebrates. The onset of this highly coordinated step of early embryonic development is accompanied by fine-tuned cell migration, which needs to be downregulated in adults in order to maintain a homeostasis. The cells forming gastrulating embryos collectively undergo a set of behaviors termed morphogenetic movements whose features - partially comparable to ones observed on cells migrating in culture - are shared among vertebrate species, providing valuable insights into "hidden homology" and phylogenetic relationships. Research focusing on regulation and mechanisms of morphogenesis is mostly conducted using Xenopus laevis as a model organism, extrapolating results to higher...
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