Chemically stimulated differentiation of post-nodal pieces of chick blastoderms
Earlier studies on the role of sulfhydryl (–SH) groups in morphogenesis have indicated that in chick and amphibian embryos, an –SH-containing substance can act as an inducing stimulus in the action of the primary organizer. Thus, blocking –SH groups by chloroacetophenone (CAP) has specific developmental effects and the inducing capacity of the Hensen's node is affected (Lakshmi, 1962 a, b). Reversal of the effects of –SH block by cysteine indicated that whatever is blocked by the –SH inhibitor is restored by cysteine (Mulherkar, Rao & Joshi, 1965; Mulherkar, Rao, Joshi & Joshi, 1966). It appears, however, that not all –SH-containing substances can reverse the effect of –SH block by CAP. Thus the teratogenic effects of CAP could not be ameliorated by a subsequent treatment with cysteamine, a decarboxylation product of cysteine, while CAP and cysteamine mixed in equimolar proportions had no effect on development (Rao, 1969).