Protocol for imaging and quantifying single-cell CDK activity levels during early mouse embryonic development by time-lapse microscopy

Tracking the translocation of fluorescent-based reporters at the single-cell level in living mouse embryos requires specialized expertise in mouse embryology and deep computational skills. Here, we detail an approach to quantify cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity levels in single cells throughout different stages of the pre-implantation embryo. We discuss in vitro culture strategies that enable efficient live fluorescent confocal image acquisition and subsequent cell tracking. Finally, we describe the image analysis workflow needed for the processing and visualization of the datasets obtained. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Saykali et al.¹.