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A mesoderm-inducing factor is produced by Xenopus cell line.
1Laboratory of Embryogenesis, National Institute of Medical Research, The Ridgeway, London NW7 1AA, UK.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Researchers discovered a mesoderm-inducing factor secreted by Xenopus XTC cells. This factor causes animal pole explants to differentiate into muscle and notochord, advancing understanding of vertebrate development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Inductive interactions are crucial for vertebrate cell type diversification.
- Mesoderm induction in amphibian embryos is a key early developmental event.
- The molecular basis of mesoderm induction in Xenopus is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify a Xenopus mesoderm-inducing factor.
- To investigate the role of cell lines in secreting inductive signals.
- To characterize the properties of the identified mesoderm-inducing activity.
Main Methods:
- Culturing isolated animal pole regions of Xenopus embryos.
- Utilizing conditioned medium from the Xenopus XTC cell line.
- Assessing differentiation into muscle and notochord versus atypical epidermis.
Main Results:
- The Xenopus XTC cell line secretes mesoderm-inducing activity.
- Animal pole explants in XTC-conditioned medium differentiated into muscle and notochord.
- The active principle is heat-stable, trypsin-sensitive, nondialyzable, with a molecular mass of approximately 16,000.
Conclusions:
- The Xenopus XTC cell line provides a source of mesoderm-inducing activity.
- This finding is significant for understanding early amphibian development.
- Further characterization of the factor and its presence in normal embryos is ongoing.