Primordial germ cells (PGCs, green) in a zebrafish embryo. Right: PGCs lacking the Dead end protein differentiate into somatic cells, here into muscle cells with a characteristic elongated shape.
When an embryo develops, single cells acquire specific fates that allow them to perform specific tasks in the adult organism. The primordial germ cells are formed very early in embryonic development and migrate within the embryo to the developing testis or the ovary, where they give rise to sperm and egg cells. During their migration, the germ cells pass through tissues and interact with cells that acquire other specific fates such as muscle, bone or nerve cells in response to different cues. Primordial germ cells, however, ignore those signals and maintain their fate.
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