- Disruption of the HNF-4 gene, expressed in visceral endoderm, leads to cell death in embryonic ectoderm and impaired gastrulation of mouse embryos. Chen, W.S., Manova, K., Weinstein, D.C., Duncan, S.A., Plump, A.S., Prezioso, V.R., Bachvarova, R.F., Darnell, J.E. Genes Dev. (1994)