Role of cell contact in the specification process of pigment founder cells in the sea urchin embryo.
Effects of LiCl on the specification process of pigment founder cells were examined in the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. If embryos were treated with 30 mM LiCl during 4-7 or 7-10 hours postfertilization, pigment cells increased significantly. Aphidicolin treatment indicated that this increase was due to the increase in the pigment founder cells. Interestingly, if the embryos were treated sequentially with LiCl and Ca2+-free seawater during 4-7 and 7-10 hr, respectively, they differentiated only about the same number of pigment cells as control embryos. Further, the increase was scarcely discerned when the embryos were treated with LiCl in the absence of Ca2+ during 7-10 hr. These results suggested that effect of LiCl would be ascribed to the increase in cell adhesiveness. In fact, LiCl-treated embryos were more difficult to be dissociated into single cells. Cell electrophoresis showed that the amount of the negative cell surface charges decreased considerably in LiCl-treated embryos. It was also found that the number of pigment cells seldom exceeded 100, even if embryos were exposed to a higher concentration of LiCl. This suggested that only a subpopulation of the descendants of veg2 blastomeres received the inductive signal emanated from the micromere progeny.
Department of Biology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan. taka@sci.ehime-u.ac.jp
Hiromi
H
Takata
Tetsuya
T
Kominami
Mizuko
M
Masui
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D005306:Fertilization; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000187:drug effects; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D055672:Static Electricity; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D013997:Time Factors
D018021:Lithium Chloride