Mesoderm induction in the future tail region of Xenopus

We have used interspecific grafts between Xenopus borealis and Xenopus laevis to study the signalling system that produces tail mesoderm. Early gastrula ectoderm grafted into the posterior neural plate region of neurulae responds to a mesodermal inducing signal in this region and forms mainly tail somites; this signal persists until at least the early tail bud stage. Ventral ectoderm grafted into the posterior neural plate loses its competence to respond to this signal after stage 10 1/2. We have established the specification of anterior and posterior neural plate ectoderm. In ectodermal sandwiches or when grafted into unusual positions, anterior regions gave rise to mainly nervous system and posterior regions to large amounts of muscle, together with some nervous system. Thus it was impossible to assess the competence of posterior neural plate ectoderm to form further mesoderm and hence to establish if mesodermal induction continues during neurulation in unmanipulated embryos.