scholarly journals THE EFFECTS OF 5-BROMODEOXYURIDINE ON YOLK SAC ERYTHROPOIESIS IN THE CHICK EMBRYO

1971 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasusada Miura ◽  
Fred H. Wilt

The effects of the thymidine analog, 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR), on the formation of red cells in the yolk sac of the chick embryo were examined. The prospective area opaca vasculosa from a definitive primitive streak embryo was excised, disaggregated, and deposited into a cell clump, and the cell clump was placed in organ culture. Hemoglobin synthesis is detectable after about 16 hr in culture. The formation of erythropoietic foci and incorporation of 55Fe into heme were used to measure the extent of erythropoiesis. Exposure to 40 µg/ml of BUdR within 6 hr after explantation almost completely eliminated red cell formation; subsequent transfer to thymidine medium showed that the inhibition was reversible, and there was no histological evidence of analog toxicity. Between 6 and 12 hr after initiation of organ culture, the tissue became completely refractory to BUdR. DNA synthesis, as monitored by thymidine-3H and BUdR-3H pulses, was extensive both during and after the period of BUdR sensitivity. Hence, during both BUdR sensitive and insensitive periods the analog was incorporated into DNA of cells which had not yet synthesized hemoglobin. It is proposed that between 6 and 12 hr a crucial regulatory event for terminal differentiation is perturbed by the presence of BUdR in the chromosomes.

1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 1679-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Sanchez Palazon ◽  
A Rodriguez-Burgos

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a major globulin of the embryonic serum of mammals, birds, and other vertebrates. It is synthesized chiefly by the liver and/or the yolk sac. The aim of this work was to confirm the occurrence of AFP in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) from 14-day chick embryo. AFP had previously been detected by immunoelectrophoresis in CAM extracts under the suspicion that it could be a mere artifact resulting from blood contamination. The immunohistochemical study of the CAM carried out for this purpose revealed the protein to be solely located in the mesodermal layer. The joint use of organ culture and immunoperoxidase techniques has enabled us to find evidence for the synthesis of AFP in the cells of this layer. These results confirm the occurrence of such a significant carrier globulin to embryonic development in one more tissue that can be added to the short list of AFP-producing tissues.


Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.J. Sanders ◽  
M. Varedi ◽  
A.S. French

Cell proliferation in the gastrulating chick embryo was assessed using two independent techniques which mark cells in S phase of the mitotic cycle: nuclear incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) detected immunocytochemically and immunolocalization of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Computer-reconstructed maps were produced showing the distribution of labelled nuclei in the primitive streak and the cell layers. These distributions were also normalized to take into account regional differences in cell density across the embryo. Results from a 2 hour pulse of BrdU indicated that although cells at caudal levels of the primitive streak showed the highest incorporation, this region showed a similar proportion of labelled cells to the surrounding caudal regions of the epiblast and mesoderm when normalized for cell density. The entire caudal third of the embryo showed the highest proportion of cells in S phase. Cells of Hensen's node showed a relatively low rate of incorporation and, although the chordamesoderm cells showed many labelled nuclei, this appeared to be a reflection of a high cell density in this region. Combining this result with results from a 4 hour pulse of BrdU permitted mapping of cell generation time across the entire embryo. Generation times ranged from a low value of approximately 2 hours at caudal levels of both the epiblast and mesoderm, to an upper value of approximately 10 hours in the rostral regions of the primitive streak, in the mid-lateral levels of the epiblast and in the chordamesoderm rostral to Hensen's node. Cells at caudal regions of the primitive streak showed a generation time of approximately 5 hours. Taking into account that cells are generally considered to be continuously moving through the primitive streak, we conclude that cell division, as judged by generation time, is greatly reduced during transit through this region, despite the presence there of cells in S phase and M phase. Immunocytochemical localization of PCNA-positive nuclei gave generally similar distributions to those obtained with BrdU incorporation, confirming that this endogenous molecule is a useful S-phase marker during early embryogenesis. Mid-levels and caudal levels of the primitive streak showed the highest numbers of positive nuclei, and the highest proportion of labelling after cell density was accounted for. As with BrdU incorporation, the highest proportions of PCNA-positive nuclei were found towards the caudal regions of the epiblast and mesoderm. These results suggest that the differential growth of the caudal region of the embryo at this time is a direct consequence of elevated levels of cell proliferation in this region.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Development ◽  
1968 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-260
Author(s):  
Teresa Rogulska

Suggestive evidence for the extragonadal origin of germ cells in birds was first presented by Swift (1914), who described primordial germ cells in the chick embryo at as early a stage as the primitive streak. According to Swift, primordial germ cells are originally located extra-embryonically in the anterior part of the blastoderm and occupy a crescent-shaped region (‘germinal crescent’) on the boundary between area opaca and area pellucida. Swift also found that primordial germ cells later enter into the blood vessels, circulate together with the blood throughout the whole blastoderm and finally penetrate into the genital ridges, where they become definitive germ cells. Swift's views have been confirmed in numerous descriptive and experimental investigations. Among the latter, the publications of Willier (1937), Simon (1960) and Dubois (1964a, b, 1965a, b, 1966) merit special attention. Dubois finally proved that the genital ridges exert a strong chemotactic influence on the primordial germ cells.


Development ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-93
Author(s):  
E. J. Sanders

Mesodermal tissue from the chick embryo at various stages of early differentiation was cultured in hydrated gels of type I collagen in the presence and absence of transferrin. Primary mesoderm explants from primitive-streak-stage embryos responded to the presence of avian transferrin by significantly improved outgrowth which appeared to be related to the ability of the cells to attach to, and migrate in, the collagen. No evidence was obtained which suggested that this observation was dependent on increased cell proliferation. This outgrowth enhancement was not duplicated by transferrin of human origin. The avian transferrin did not produce this effect on cells cultured on plastic substrata, suggesting that the species-specific effect involves modulation by the extracellular matrix. Mesoderm explants from somite stages of development showed no increase in outgrowth in the presence of either avian or human transferrin as judged by counting the number of outwandering cells. Ultrastructural immunocytochemistry indicated surface binding of transferrin by cells in the gels, and the presence of endogenous transferrin on the surfaces of mesoderm cells in situ and in their extracellular environment. It is suggested that by binding to cell surface receptors, transferrin may be able to influence the strength of cellular adhesion to collagen and hence the capacity for cell locomotion.


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