Ethanol treatment inhibits mesoderm cell spreading in the gastrulating chick embryo

Gastrulating chick embryos in culture were treated with ethanol solutions, following which the mesoderm cells migrating from the primitive streak were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Morphometric analysis of cell shape showed that mesoderm cells from treated embryos were significantly more rounded and therefore less well spread than controls, and showed fewer filopodial contacts with the overlying basement membrane. This result was only obtainable for cells leading the migration from the primitive streak, since the following cells in the mesodermal mass apparently did not show this difference. The ethanol concentration required to obtain a reliable effect was 5%, while lower concentrations produced highly variable results. The mesoderm cells were also examined for their in vitro responsiveness to ethanol by investigating their adhesiveness and cytoskeleton. No effect was observed on cell-glass adhesion as judged by interference reflection microscopy using up to 1% ethanol. This concentration did, however, disrupt the actin cytoskeleton of cultured cells when stained with NBD-phallacidin, but lower concentrations were ineffective. It is concluded that ethanol treatment of cultured embryos has a significant effect on the substratum relationships of some migrating mesoderm cells.