Fig. 3.

HDAC activity is required for the pluripotency of blastula stem cells. (A,B) In situ hybridization examining nrp1 and sox11 expression in animal pole explants induced with chordin mRNA and treated with vehicle or inhibitor [500 nM TSA (A) or 10 mM VPA (B)]. Explants were cultured alongside sibling embryos grown until late neurula stages (stage 18). (C-F) In situ hybridization examining expression of mesodermal markers xbra and myod and endodermal markers endodermin and Sox17 in animal pole explants induced with Activin and treated with vehicle (DMSO or water) or inhibitor [500 nM TSA (C,E) or 10 mM VPA (D,F)]. Explants were cultured alongside sibling embryos grown until mid-gastrula stages (stage 11.5) for xbra, endodermin and sox17 expression and late neurula stages (stage 18) for myod expression. Scale bars: 250 μm.