In vivo and in vitro development of mouse embryos homozygous for the embryonic lethal velvet coat (Ve) mutation.

Embryos homozygous for the velvet coat mutation, Ve/Ve, were recognized at 6.5 days post coitum by the reduced size of the ectodermal portions of the egg cylinder and the loose, columnar nature of the overlying endoderm. Later in development ectoderm tissues were sometimes entirely absent. Abnormalities appeared in the ectoplacental cone at 8.5 days but trophoblast giant cells and parietal endoderm appeared unaffected. Homozygotes could not be unequivocally identified at 5.5 days nor at the blastocyst stage but were recognized in blastocyst outgrowths by poor development of the inner cell mass derivatives. It has previously been suggested that Ve may exert its action at the blastocyst stage by reducing the size of the inner cell mass, but no evidence for such a reduction was found. Most of the observations on Ve/Ve homozygotes are, however, consistent with the hypothesis that Ve exerts its action primarily on later primitive ectoderm development.