Single-cell analysis reveals lineage segregation in early post-implantation mouse embryos.

The mammalian post-implantation embryo has been extensively investigated at the tissue level. However, to unravel the molecular basis for the cell-fate plasticity and determination, it is essential to study the characteristics of individual cells. In particular, the individual definitive endoderm (DE) cells have not been characterized Here, we report gene expression patterns in single cells freshly isolated from mouse embryos on days 5.