title: Morphological and physiological aspects of melanophores in primary culture from tadpoles of Xenopus laevis.
abstract: Melanophores from tadpoles of Xenopus laevis (Daudin) were isolated by digestion of tail fins with acetyltrypsin and collagenase and maintained in primary culture for 6 weeks up to 3 months. Within 36 to 72 h the melanophores develop one to eight dendritic processes per cell; secondary and tertiary branchings of the processes were frequently observed. The melanophores in primary culture disperse under the influence of alpha-MSH or cyclic AMP; upon rinsing out these substances the cells aggregate. In darkness, about 40% of the cells disperse their pigment, whereas under illumination the pigment of the melanophores aggregates. To date, attempts to initiate cell division in melanophores have not been successful.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008027:Light; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology; D008547:Melanophores / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008938:Mitosis; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; D000242:Cyclic AMP