Lethal phenotype-based database screening identifies ceramide as a negative regulator of primitive streak formation

In early embryogenesis, the primitive streak (PrS) generates the mesendoderm and is essential for organogenesis. However, because the PrS is a minute and transient tissue, elucidating the mechanism of its formation had been challenging. We had identified ceramide metabolism to regulate PrS formation. We investigated how C2 ceramide, a cell-permeable form of ceramide, affects gene expression for PrS formation. Overall design: Comparative gene expression profiling analysis of RNA-seq data for embryoid bodies treated with C2 ceramide.