Stimulation of circus movement by activin, bFGF and TGF-beta 2 in isolated animal cap cells of Xenopus laevis.
Lobopodium is a hyaline cytoplasmic protrusion which rotates circumferencially around a cell. This movement is called circus movement, which is seen in dissociated cells of amphibian embryos. Relative abundance of the lobopodia-forming cells changes temporally and spatially within Xenopus embryos, reflecting stage-dependent difference of morphogenetic movements. The lobopodia-forming activity of dissociated animal cap cells was stimulated strongly by activin and bFGF, and weakly by TGF-beta 2. In addition, activin A was found to stimulate cellular attachment to the substratum when the cultivation lasted long. Thus, mesoderm-inducing growth factors stimulate lobopodia formation and cellular movements which may be necessary for gastrulation and neurulation in Xenopus early embryos.
Minoura
I
I
Laboratory of Molecular Embryology, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Nakamura
H
H
Tashiro
K
K
Shiokawa
K
K
D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000187:drug effects*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007265:Inhibins / Q000494:pharmacology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D012399:Rotation; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology*
D006133:Growth Substances; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins