Development of the Xenopus laevis hatching gland and its relationship to surface ectoderm patterning

An antibody that recognizes tyrosine hydroxylase can be used as a marker for hatching gland cells in Xenopus embryos. Using this marker, we have shown that hatching gland cells are induced at the end of gastrulation and that presumptive hatching gland cells are localized to the anterior neural folds in Xenopus. The movements of neurulation bring the hatching gland cells together to form a characteristic Y pattern on the dorsoanterior surface of the head. The Y pattern delineates several zones of surface ectoderm which can be visualized by the presence or absence of ciliated cells. As development proceeds the hatching gland pattern is altered, demonstrating the active changes involved in forming the face. Lithium, UV irradiation and retinoic acid can be used to alter the hatching gland pattern in specific ways which help to understand the underlying mechanisms of ectodermal patterning.