scholarly journals Gastrulation movements provide an early marker of mesoderm induction in Xenopus laevis

Development ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Symes ◽  
J.C. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Early Response ◽  
Model System ◽  
Mesoderm Induction ◽  
Animal Pole ◽  
Inductive Interaction ◽  
Vegetal Pole ◽  
Pole Cells ◽  
General Appearance

The first inductive interaction in amphibian development is mesoderm induction, in which an equatorial mesodermal rudiment is induced from the animal hemisphere under the influence of a signal from vegetal pole blastomeres. We have recently discovered that the Xenopus XTC cell line secretes a factor which has the properties we would expect of a mesoderm-inducing factor. In this paper, we show that an early response to this factor by isolated Xenopus animal pole regions is a change in shape, involving elongation and constriction. We show by several criteria, including general appearance, timing, rate of elongation and the nonrequirement for cell division that these movements resemble the events of gastrulation. We also demonstrate that the movements provide an early, simple and reliable indicator of mesoderm induction and are of use in providing a ‘model system’ for the study of mesoderm induction and gastrulation. For example, we show that the timing of gastrulation movements does not depend upon the time of receipt of a mesoderm-induction signal, but on an intrinsic gastrulation ‘clock’ which is present even in those animal pole cells that would not nomally require it.

The relationship between cleavage and blastocoel formation in Xenopus laevis

Development ◽  
1971 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49
Author(s):  
Marvin R. Kalt
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Serial Sections ◽  
Distinct Entity ◽  
Animal Pole ◽  
Amphibian Embryos ◽  
Vegetal Pole ◽  
Morula Stage ◽  
The Relationship

Blastocoel formation in Xenopus laevis was investigated by light microscopy using serial sections of epoxy-embedded, staged embryos. The earliest manifestation of the blastocoel in the embryo appeared during the first cleavage as a modification in the animal pole furrow tip. This modification consisted of an expansion of a localized area of the furrow. As the blastocoel became a distinct entity, it remained stationary, while the furrow tip continued to advance inwardly. In contrast, no such furrow cavity was observed in the vegetal pole furrow during its formation. During subsequent cleavages, up to the late morula stage, furrows on opposite sides of any given blastomere had different morphologies. As further divisions occurred, the mode of furrow formation became identical regardless of location in the embryo. It is suggested that the cytokinetic pattern in early amphibian embryos is modified to allow for the formation of the blastocoel. After the blastocoel has formed, the cytokinetic pattern changes to one which is concerned solely with cell division.

An Experimental Analysis of the Development of the Haploid Syndrome in Embryos of Xenopus laevis

Development ◽  
1963 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 267-278
Author(s):  
Louie Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Experimental Analysis ◽  
Rana Pipiens ◽  
Animal Pole ◽  
Pole Cells

Haploid vertebrates may occur spontaneously but are very rare (Fankhauser, 1941; Humphrey & Fankhauser, 1957); however, haploids may be experimentally produced in fish (Swarup, 1959) and in mammals (Beatty, 1953), while amphibian eggs may be so treated that all developing embryos are haploid (Porter, 1939; Gurdon, 1960). The full descriptions of the development of haploid Rana pipiens (Porter, 1939) and R. nigromaculata (Miyada, 1960) apply so well to Xenopus laevis that only the most important points will be touched on here. Haploid amphibians may be identified at the beginning of gastrulation since their animal pole cells are smaller at a given stage than are those of diploids. In all haploid Anura the onset of gastrulation is delayed, and thereafter haploids become progressively more retarded in their development. Their neural plates are shorter, and when the neural folds have closed it can be seen that the embryos are microcephalic and suffer from lordosis and a bulging abdomen.

scholarly journals Oriented cell divisions and cellular morphogenesis in the zebrafish gastrula and neurula: a time-lapse analysis

Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (6) ◽  
pp. 983-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.L. Concha ◽  
R.J. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Ventral Surface ◽  
Neural Plate ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Gradual Transition ◽  
Animal Pole ◽  
Dorsal Midline ◽  
Vegetal Pole ◽  
The Central Nervous System

We have taken advantage of the optical transparency of zebrafish embryos to investigate the patterns of cell division, movement and shape during early stages of development of the central nervous system. The surface-most epiblast cells of gastrula and neurula stage embryos were imaged and analysed using a computer-based, time-lapse acquisition system attached to a differential interference contrast (DIC) microscope. We find that the onset of gastrulation is accompanied by major changes in cell behaviour. Cells collect into a cohesive sheet, apparently losing independent motility and integrating their behaviour to move coherently over the yolk in a direction that is the result of two influences: towards the vegetal pole in the movements of epiboly and towards the dorsal midline in convergent movements that strengthen throughout gastrulation. Coincidentally, the plane of cell division becomes aligned to the surface plane of the embryo and oriented in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction. These behaviours begin at the blastoderm margin and propagate in a gradient towards the animal pole. Later in gastrulation, cells undergo increasingly mediolateral-directed elongation and autonomous convergence movements towards the dorsal midline leading to an enormous extension of the neural axis. Around the equator and along the dorsal midline of the gastrula, persistent AP orientation of divisions suggests that a common mechanism may be involved but that neither oriented cell movements nor shape can account for this alignment. When the neural plate begins to differentiate, there is a gradual transition in the direction of cell division from AP to the mediolateral circumference (ML). ML divisions occur in both the ventral epidermis and dorsal neural plate. In the neural plate, ML becomes the predominant orientation of division during neural keel and nerve rod stages and, from late neural keel stage, divisions are concentrated at the dorsal midline and generate bilateral progeny (C. Papan and J. A. Campos-Ortega (1994) Roux's Arch. Dev. Biol. 203, 178–186). Coincidentally, cells on the ventral surface also orient their divisions in the ML direction, cleaving perpendicular to the direction in which they are elongated. The ML alignment of epidermal divisions is well correlated with cell shape but ML divisions within the neuroepithelium appear to be better correlated with changes in tissue morphology associated with neurulation.

Roles of Cortical and Subcortical Components in Cleavage Furrow Formation in Amphibia

1972 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 543-556
Author(s):  
TSUYOSHI SAWAI
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Species Specificity ◽  
Cleavage Furrow ◽  
Entire Surface ◽  
Animal Pole ◽  
The Future ◽  
Vegetal Pole ◽  
Triturus Pyrrhogaster

In the eggs of the newt, Triturus pyrrhogaster, 2 separate factors are recognized which take part in cleavage furrow formation. (1) The inductive capacity for the furrow formation by the cytoplasm lying under the cortex along the cleavage furrow (FIC); and (2) the reactivity of the overlying cortex to form a furrow in response to FIC. (1) FIC. The inductive capacity is shown by the fact that FIC induces a furrow on whichever part of the surface under which FIC is transplanted. FIC is distributed along the cleavage furrow and even extends along the future furrow plane ahead of the furrow tip. The distance FIC precedes the furrow tip is about 1.0 mm in the animal hemisphere and is less in the vegetal hemisphere. In the direction at right angles to the furrow plane, FIC does not spread more than 0.1 mm. FIC is also present in the eggs of Xenopus laevis. Species specificity of FIC for induction is not found between Triturus and Xenopus. (2) Surface layer. At the onset of the first cleavage, the reactivity of the cortex to form the furrow in answer to FIC induction is localized on the animal pole region. The reactivity of the cortex propagates medially as a belt along the surface towards the vegetal pole with the advancing tip of the cleavage furrow. After the furrow is completed, the reactivity begins to be lost from the animal pole region, and eventually over the entire surface. The reactivity, however, reappears on the animal pole region simultaneously with the second cleavage.

Mesoderm induction and the control of gastrulation in Xenopus laevis: the roles of fibronectin and integrins

Development ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Smith ◽  
K. Symes ◽  
R.O. Hynes ◽  
D. DeSimone
Keyword(s):  
Marginal Zone ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Mesoderm Induction ◽  
Convergent Extension ◽  
Animal Pole ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Coated Surface ◽  
Pole Cells ◽  
And Control ◽  
Future Work

Exposure of isolated Xenopus animal pole ectoderm to the XTC mesoderm-inducing factor (XTC-MIF) causes the tissue to undergo gastrulation-like movements. In this paper, we take advantage of this observation to investigate the control of various aspects of gastrulation in Xenopus. Blastomeres derived from induced animal pole regions are able, like marginal zone cells, but unlike control animal pole blastomeres, to spread and migrate on a fibronectin-coated surface. Dispersed animal pole cells are also able to respond to XTC-MIF in this way; this is one of the few mesoderm-specific responses to induction that has been observed in single cells. The ability of induced animal pole cells to spread on fibronectin is abolished by the peptide GRGDSP. However, the elongation of intact explants is unaffected by this peptide. This may indicate that fibronectin-mediated cell migration is not required for convergent extension. We have investigated the molecular basis of XTC-MIF-induced gastrulation-like movements by measuring rates of synthesis of fibronectin and of the integrin beta 1 chain in induced and control explants. No significant differences were observed, and this suggests that gastrulation is not initiated simply by control of synthesis of these molecules. In future work, we intend to investigate synthesis of other integrin subunits and to examine possible post-translational modifications to fibronectin and the integrins.

Inducing factors and the control of mesodermal pattern in Xenopus laevis

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 107 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 149-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Smith ◽  
J. Cooke ◽  
J. B. A. Green ◽  
G. Howes ◽  
K. Symes
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
The Other ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Animal Pole ◽  
Spemann's Organizer ◽  
Inductive Interaction ◽  
Inducing Factors

The mesoderm of Xenopus laevis and other amphibia is formed through an inductive interaction during which cells of the vegetal hemisphere act on cells of the animal hemisphere. Two groups of factors mimic the effects of the vegetal hemisphere. One group consists of members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family, while the other is related to transforming growth factor typeβ(TGF-β). In this paper we discuss the evidence that the FGF family represents ‘ventral’ mesoderm-inducing signals, and the TGF-β family ‘dorsal’ signals. The evidence includes a discussion of the cell types formed in response to each type of factor, the fact that only XTCMIF (a member of the TGF-β family) and not bFGF can induce animal pole ectoderm to become Spemann's organizer, and an analysis of the timing of the gastrulation movements induced by the factors.

scholarly journals The Xenopus MyoD gene: an unlocalised maternal mRNA predates lineage-restricted expression in the early embryo

Development ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 108 (4) ◽  
pp. 669-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.P. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Early Response ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Mesoderm Induction ◽  
Animal Pole ◽  
Early Expression ◽  
Inducing Factors ◽  
Mesoderm Inducing Factors ◽  
Myod Gene

Expression of the mouse MyoD gene appears to represent a critical point in the commitment of cultured cells to muscle. In Xenopus, myogenic commitment begins during mesoderm induction which is initiated early in development by endogenous growth factors. To study MyoD gene expression during induction, a Xenopus MyoD gene and homologous cDNAs were selected from Xenopus libraries and analysed. Two different cDNAs have been sequenced. They code for proteins closely related to each other and to mouse MyoD and are likely to be expressed from duplicated Xenopus MyoD genes. Surprisingly, MyoD mRNA is first detected during oogenesis and the maternal species is not localized exclusively to the region of the blastula fated to muscle. Zygotic MyoD mRNA accumulates slowly above maternal levels beginning at the MBT and new transcripts are localized to the somitic mesoderm. Expression outside of somites has been detected in developing heads of tailbud embryos and can be induced in blastula animal pole explants treated with mesoderm-inducing factors. The early expression of MyoD in Xenopus development suggests that it may play a part in the induction of muscle mesoderm and generally strengthens the evidence that MyoD is determinative in muscle commitment. In addition, the initiation of MyoD transcription at the MBT and its stimulation by mesoderm-inducing factors implies that MyoD gene expression is an immediate early response to mesoderm induction.

Mesoderm-inducing factors and the control of gastrulation

Development ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 116 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 127-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Smith ◽  
J. E. Howard
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Model System ◽  
Inductive Interaction ◽  
Inducing Factors ◽  
Gastrulation Movement ◽  
Mesoderm Inducing Factors ◽  
Suitable System ◽  
Do So

One of the reasons that we know so little about the control of vertebrate gastrulation is that there are very few systems available in which the process can be studied in vitro. In this paper, we suggest that one suitable system might be provided by the use of mesoderm-inducing factors. In amphibian embryos such as Xenopus laevis, gastrulation is driven by cells of the mesoderm, and the mesoderm itself arises through an inductive interaction in which cells of the vegetal hemisphere of the embryo emit a signal which acts on overlying equatorial cells. Several factors have recently been discovered that modify the pattern of mesodermal differentiation or induce mesoderm from presumptive ectoderm. Some of these mesoderm-inducing factors will also elicit gastrulation movements, which provides a powerful model system for the study of gastrulation, because a population of cells that would not normally undertake the process can be induced to do so. In this paper, we use mesoderm-inducing factors to attempt to answer four questions. How do cells know when to gastrulate? How do cells know what kind of gastrulation movement to undertake? What is the cellular basis of gastrulation? What is the molecular basis of gastrulation?

The nature of developmental restrictions in Xenopus laevis embryos

Development ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 65-73
Author(s):  
Janet Heasman ◽  
Alison Snape ◽  
J. C. Smith ◽  
C. C. Wylie
Keyword(s):  
Xenopus Laevis ◽  
Single Cells ◽  
Cell Interaction ◽  
Blastula Stage ◽  
Vegetal Pole ◽  
Transplantation Technique ◽  
Pole Cells ◽  
Early Gastrula ◽  
Xenopus Laevis Embryos

Fate maps of the late blastula stage of the Xenopus laevis embryo indicate that the cells of the vegetal pole area are destined to become part of the endoderm germ layer (Keller, 1975; Heasman, Wylie, Hausen & Smith, 1984). By labelling single cells from this region and transplanting them into the blastocoel cavity of host embryos, we have shown that the determinative process that restricts blastomeres to this their normal fate occurs between the early blastula and early gastrula stages (Heasman et al. 1984). To progress towards an understanding of this process, we need to establish some fundamental points. In particular, the following issues are discussed here. (1) Is cell interaction required for determination to proceed? (2) What is the cellular nature of determination? We have used the labelling and transplantation technique described previously (Heasman, Snape, Smith & Wylie, 1985; Heasman, Snape, Smith, Holwill & Wylie, 1985) to study these questions in relation to the mechanism of determination of vegetal pole cells in Xenopus laevis.

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