Prostaglandin E2 does not inhibit metamorphosis of tadpole tails in tissue culture.
Tadpoles excrete prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in oral mucus and at the same time trap food particles on oral mucus during feeding. Wassersug (1986) suggested that orally excreted and then ingested PGE2 might inhibit premature metamorphosis in anurans. We have tested to see whether PGE2 inhibits thyroid hormone-induced metamorphosis of tadpole tails in tissue culture. It does not. It is still possible that an endocrinologically active component of oral mucus plays a regulatory role in metamorphosis, but it may not act directly on tail tissue or it may not even be PGE2.
Mobbs
I G
IG
Department of Anatomy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
King
V A
VA
Wassersug
R J
RJ
D000818:Animals; D046508:Culture Techniques; D015232:Dinoprostone; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000502:physiology; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000502:physiology*; D011898:Ranidae / Q000254:growth & development*; D013270:Stomach / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000502:physiology
D011458:Prostaglandins E; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D015232:Dinoprostone