title: Morphogenesis and the cytoskeleton: studies of the Xenopus embryo.
abstract: The morphological transformation from oocyte to embryo is brought about by the structural components of the cell, the cytoskeleton. Cytoskeletal elements act to generate and maintain cellular asymmetries, cellular movement and morphologies, and to integrate signals and forces into morphogenetically coherent behavior. Because of its unique experimental accessibility, the Xenopus embryo provides a powerful model system in which to study the "body language" of early embryonic development.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado, Boulder 80309-0347.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Klymkowsky
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karnovsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000502:physiology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D016764:Cell Polarity; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology*; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D005775:Gastrula / Q000502:physiology; D007633:Keratins / Q000502:physiology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009866:Oogenesis; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007633:Keratins