Contracting Embryonic Bodies
Contracting Embryonic Bodies - Related Videos
10:51
A System for ex vivo Culturing of Embryonic Pancreas
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Cited by 23 •
2012
Here, we describe a method for isolation, culture and manipulation of mouse embryonic pancreas. This represents an excellent ex vivo system for studying various aspects of pancreatic development, including morphogenesis, differentiation and growth. Pancreatic bud explants can be cultured for several days and used in a range of different applications, including whole-mount immunofluorescence and live imaging.
01:15
Muscle Contraction
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2025
In skeletal muscles, acetylcholine is released by nerve terminals at the motor end plate—the point of synaptic communication between motor neurons and muscle fibers. Binding of acetylcholine to its receptors on the sarcolemma allows entry of sodium ions into the cell and triggers an action potential in the muscle cell. Thus, electrical signals from the brain are transmitted to the muscle. Subsequently, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine to prevent excessive muscle...
01:10
Muscle Contraction
0 Views •
2023
In skeletal muscles, acetylcholine is released by nerve terminals at the motor endplate—the point of synaptic communication between motor neurons and muscle fibers. The binding of acetylcholine to its receptors on the sarcolemma allows entry of sodium ions into the cell and triggers an action potential in the muscle cell. Thus, electrical signals from the brain are transmitted to the muscle. Subsequently, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine to prevent excessive muscle...
09:04
Analysis of Retinoic Acid-induced Neural Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells in Two and Three-dimensional Embryoid Bodies
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Cited by 9 •
2017
We describe a technique for using murine embryonic stem cells for generating two or three dimensional embryoid bodies. We then explain how to induce neural differentiation of the embryoid body cells by retinoic acid, and how to analyze their state of differentiation by progenitor cell marker immunofluorescence and immunoblotting.
02:08
Assessing Muscle Contraction with Neuromuscular Blocker Treatment
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2025
This video demonstrates assessing the muscle using cultured motor neurons, Schwann cells, and myotubes, followed by treatment with a neuromuscular blocker to inhibit contraction. Color-coded time-motion graphics show a color-coded time-motion graphic. Red indicates the fastest movement, and blue indicates the slowest.
FAQs
Cell-cell adhesion helps maintain the three-dimensional organization of the aggregate, while cytoskeletal remodeling allows cells to change shape and generate force. Together, these processes support coordinated rather than purely isolated movement. Their interaction makes contraction a useful visible indicator of tissue organization and reveals how structural changes accompany early differentiation.
Cardiomyocyte-like maturation links visible rhythmic activity with a more specific developmental outcome. As progenitor cells acquire these properties, contraction can serve as an accessible indication of cardiac differentiation within the aggregate. This helps investigators compare developmental conditions and identify cultures in which cardiac lineage progression is more evident.
Culture conditions and signaling cues can alter both the developmental trajectory of cells and the appearance of contractile activity. Changes in these inputs may affect lineage-specific maturation, aggregate morphology, or the timing and coordination of contractions. Comparing these outcomes allows researchers to examine how the surrounding experimental environment influences embryonic organization and differentiation.
Researchers can examine the aggregate's morphology together with the presence and coordination of its contractions. Morphological features provide information about three-dimensional organization, whereas beating behavior offers a functional readout associated with maturation. Considering both observations gives a broader assessment than either measure alone and supports comparisons among culture conditions or stem cell preparations.
A typical investigation begins by maintaining pluripotent embryonic stem cells as three-dimensional aggregates, then observing compaction, morphology, and contractile activity as development proceeds. Researchers can vary culture conditions or signaling cues and compare the resulting structural and functional changes. This workflow connects experimental inputs with visible indicators of organization, differentiation, and cardiac maturation.
These aggregates support studies of embryonic development, stem cell quality, disease modeling, and screening of potential cardiac therapeutics. Their visible morphology and beating behavior provide practical readouts for comparing samples or experimental conditions. In biology, they are especially useful when researchers need an accessible model that connects tissue organization with lineage-specific cardiac differentiation.