Blastomere Injection
Blastomere Injection - Related Videos
14:08
Blastomere Explants to Test for Cell Fate Commitment During Embryonic Development
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Cited by 15 •
2013
The fate of an individual embryonic cell can be influenced by inherited molecules and/or by signals from neighboring cells. Utilizing fate maps of the cleavage stage Xenopus embryo, single blastomeres can be identified for culture in isolation to assess the contributions of inherited molecules versus cell-cell interactions.
03:41
C. elegans Blastomere Dissection: A Method to Remove the Eggshell and Dissociate Embryonic Cells
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2023
This video introduces a method of isolating C. elegans blastomeres from early embryos. The resulting cells are suitable for cell culture or ex vivo experiments.
08:09
Transplantation of GFP-expressing Blastomeres for Live Imaging of Retinal and Brain Development in Chimeric Zebrafish Embryos
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Cited by 4 •
2010
We demonstrate a protocol to generate chimeric zebrafish embryos for live imaging cellular behavior during embryogenesis.
08:28
Zebrafish Brain Ventricle Injection
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Cited by 72 •
2009
After neural tube formation, the neuroepithelium constricts and folds while the tube fills with embryonic cerebrospinal fluid (eCSF) to form the embryonic brain ventricles. We developed this ventricle injection technique to better visualize the fluid filled space in contrast to the neuroepithelial shape in a live embryo.
03:45
Intraductal Injection: Delivering Injection Mix into the Ducts of the Mouse Mammary Gland
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2023
This video describes an intraductal injection technique where we deliver injection mix into the ducts of mouse mammary glands.
FAQs
Cell-selective delivery is central to the method’s experimental value. Because the investigator targets one blastomere rather than treating the cleavage-stage embryo as an undifferentiated whole, the introduced material can be associated with a defined early cell. This design helps connect altered gene activity or molecular labeling with subsequent division behavior, communication, or cell-fate decisions.
Targeting an individual blastomere creates a way to follow consequences from a selected starting cell. When investigators compare the labeled or perturbed lineage with other embryo cells, they can examine lineage allocation and mosaicism, meaning differences in genetic or molecular states among cells. This comparison helps determine whether early cells contribute similarly or develop distinct developmental outcomes.
The cargo determines the kind of evidence the experiment can produce. Genetic material is used to alter gene activity, while molecular probes provide labels that help track cells or lineages; other reagents can support additional manipulations. Comparing these outcomes lets investigators connect molecular changes or spatial histories with early developmental behavior.
At the cleavage stage, the embryo is observed under microscopic control while a fine glass micropipette is positioned at the selected blastomere. The pipette then penetrates that cell and releases a controlled volume of genetic material, probe, or other reagent. This sequence keeps the intervention associated with an identified cell for later developmental analysis.
A controlled volume improves the consistency of delivery between targeted cells and makes experimental comparisons more meaningful. If the amount introduced varies substantially, differences in gene activity, labeling, or developmental response may be harder to interpret. Standardized delivery therefore supports clearer links between the introduced reagent and observed changes in cell behavior or fate.
The approach supports studies of gene function, cell communication, lineage allocation, mosaicism, and embryo patterning. Investigators can use resulting changes or labels to examine how early cells divide and acquire distinct fates, then relate those findings to mechanisms of normal development. The same evidence can also clarify processes associated with developmental defects.