Figure 2. Nuclear downscaling occurs independently of the first cell fate decision.

Cells were treated with nominally Ca²⁺-free media for <10 seconds to cause inter-cellular adherence to be partially lost, causing cells to round. Embryos were then fixed and nuclear volume and N/C ratio analysed in Oct4-positive cells, using the same methods as previously. Five cells of each cell type were analysed in 10 blastocysts, across two experimental days.