An increase in cell-cell adhesion in the chick segmental plate results in a meristic pattern.
Cell-cell adhesion in the anterior portion of the segmental plate plays an important role in the initiation of somitogenesis. Dissociated somites show a marked tendency to reassociate into somite-size clumps within a few hours after dissociation. Segmental plate cells show very little tendency to reassociate, even after 24 h in culture. The cells from the anterior portion of the segmental plate do show a tendency to reassociate. This supports the hypothesis that cell-cell adhesion between the cells in the anterior portion of the segmental plate plays a major role in the initiation of somitogenesis.
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002642:Chick Embryo; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009024:Morphogenesis; D013997:Time Factors