Cell interactions in the sea urchin embryo studied by fluorescence photoablation.
In many organisms, interactions between cells play a critical role in the specification of cell fates. In the sea urchin embryo, primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) regulate the developmental program of a subpopulation of secondary mesenchyme cells (SMCs). The timing of this cell interaction was analyzed by means of a fluorescence photoablation technique, which was used to specifically ablate PMCs at various stages of development. In addition, the PMCs were microinjected into PMC-depleted recipient embryos at different developmental stages and their effect on SMC fate was examined. The critical interaction between PMCs and SMCs was brief and took place late in gastrulation. Before that time, SMCs were insensitive to the suppressive signals transmitted by the PMCs.
Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
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Ettensohn
D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008027:Light; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008845:Microinjections; D012235:Rhodamines; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000196:embryology
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012235:Rhodamines; C027755:rhodamine isothiocyanate