Negin Asadi: How Does the Blastocoel Form?
Negin Asadi, PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Reproductive and Developmental Biology) at Victoria University of Wellington, shared a post on LinkedIn by Yung Su Kim and Ivan Bedzhov published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology:
“How does the blastocoel form?
One of the most remarkable transitions in early embryonic development is the transformation of a compacted morula into a blastocyst, a process driven by the coordinated interplay between cell polarity, the actin cytoskeleton, cell-cell adhesion, and fluid transport.
At the morula stage, cortical F-actin accumulates at the apical domain and extends towards cell-cell contacts, where it interacts with and stabilises intercellular junctions. Increasing mechanical tension promotes the progressive ‘zippering’ of cell–cell junctions, creating a sealed epithelial barrier.
As compaction proceeds, blastomeres acquire apical – basolateral polarity, establishing distinct membrane domains and organising the molecular machinery required for lumen formation.
Meanwhile, ion transport generates an osmotic gradient that drives water into the embryo. As fluid accumulates, local increases in hydrostatic pressure can transiently deform and disrupt cell-cell junctions, giving rise to small intracellular lumens. These lumens progressively merge and expand, ultimately forming a single, large fluid-filled cavity: the blastocoel.
The emergence of the blastocoel is more than simply the formation of a cavity. It represents a major step in embryonic self-organisation, breaking the radial symmetry of the morula and transforming it into a structurally and functionally organised blastocyst.”
Title: Mechanisms of formation and functions of the early embryonic cavities
Authors: Yung Su Kim, Ivan Bedzhov
You can read the Full Article in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology.
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