Embryonic expression of murine 5T4 oncofoetal antigen is associated with morphogenetic events at implantation and in developing epithelia.

Overexpression of 5T4 oncofoetal antigen, an early marker of ES cell differentiation, in vitro increases cellular motility and decreases adhesion, properties relevant to development and cancer. Embryonic expression of m5T4 antigen is first detected on trophectoderm at implantation and is restricted to extra-embryonic tissues to embryonic day (E) 11.5. In the embryo, significant m5T4 expression is detected at E12.5 in hindbrain roofplate and in various epithelia derived from all germ layers. In keratin 14-expressing epithelia, there is a congruent 5T4 expression pattern with many of these cells being Ki-67 positive. In brain, expression is observed in roofplate, ependymal layers, choroid plexus, and subventricular zones of lateral ventricles at E14.5. By E17.5, expression is decreased in the subventricular zone with further restriction to choroid plexus in adult brain. Our data demonstrate a limited 5T4 expression profile during embryogenesis associated with actively cycling, undifferentiated epithelial progenitor cells that may contribute to their migration. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.