Role of pYap1 in Trophoblast Formation in the Laboratory Opossum

An embryo consists of initially unspecialized cells. As development progresses, cell groups differentiate and eventually acquire specific functions. In the marsupial embryo, the trophoblast is the first tissue to form. Using confocal microscopy and immunohistochemistry, I am investigating the sequence of gene interactions that drive trophoblast formation in the model marsupial, Monodelphis domestica. The results will lead to a better understanding of the evolutionary relatedness between marsupial and non-marsupial mammals