The mouse is a perfect model organism to study mammalian, and thus indirectly also human, embryology. Most scientific achievements that have had an important impact on the understanding of basic mechanisms governing embryo development in humans, originated from mouse embryology. Stem cell research, which now offers the promise of regenerative medicine, began with the isolation and culture of mouse embryonic stem cells by Martin Evans (who received the Nobel Prize in medicine in 2007 for this achievement) Matthew Kaufman, and Gail Martin.

This book provides an overview of mouse development, spanning from oocytes before fertilization to the state-of-the-art description of embryonic and adult stem cells. The chapters, written by the leading specialists in the field, deal with the most recent discoveries in this extremely fast-developing area of research.

Inhalt
Post-transcriptional control of gene expression during mouse oogenesis.- Polarity and asymmetry during mouse oogenesis and oocyte maturation.- Chromatin Structure and ATRX Function in Mouse Oocytes.- Cyclin B in mouse oocytes and embryos: importance for human reproduction and aneuploidy.- Src protein kinases in mouse and rat oocytes and embryos.- Gradual meiosis-to-mitosis transition in the early mouse embryo.- Maternal control of mouse preimplantation development.- Preimplantation mouse embryo: developmental fate and potency of blastomeres.- Creation of trophectoderm, the first epithelium, in mouse preimplantation development.- Cell Lineage Allocation within the Inner Cell Mass of the Mouse Blastocyst.- Formation of distinct cell types in the mouse blastocyst.- Cell Movements in the Egg Cylinder Stage Mouse Embryo.- Balancing the Dose in the Mouse.- Mouse Oviduct Development.- Cell Lineages, Growth and Repair of the Mouse Heart.- Cellular reprogramming during mouse development.- Differentiation of Definitive Endoderm from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.- Mouse and human pluripotent stem cells and the means of their myogenic differentiation.- Stem cells and corneal epithelial maintenance insights from the mouse and other animal models.- Mouse induced pluripotent stem cells.- Aging in the mouse and perspectives of rejuvenation through induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).