Genetic analysis of developmental mechanisms in Hydra. II. Isolation and characterization of an interstitial cell-deficient strain.
A mutant strain (nf-I) of Hydra magnipapillata was isolated that contained no interstitial cells, nerve cells or nematocytes. This strain appeared spontaneously in a sexually inbred clone of hydra, and it was recognized by its inability to eat. When force-fed, however, it grew, multiplied by budding and regenerated. In this and in many other respects, nf-I was very similar to the interstitial cell-deficient strain produced by Campbell (1976) by means of colchicine. A chimera strain was produced by the reintroduction of interstitial cells from another strain into nf-I. The properties of nf-I, the chimera and other related strains were examined, and the possible roles that the interstitial cells and the nerve cells play in growth and morphogenesis of hydra are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D002678:Chimera; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000166:cytology; D003239:Connective Tissue Cells; D006829:Hydra / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D012038:Regeneration