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Cell behaviour during active cell rearrangement: evidence and speculations
Journal of Cell Science. Supplement
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Cell rearrangement during gastrulation in amphibians and sea urchins involves distinct deep and epithelial cell behaviors. Protrusive cell activities drive these rearrangements, crucial for embryonic development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Cell biology
- Embryology
Background:
- Gastrulation involves complex cell movements and rearrangements essential for establishing embryonic body plan.
- Understanding cell behavior and motility during gastrulation is key to deciphering developmental processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare and contrast cell behavior and motility in deep and epithelial cell populations during gastrulation in amphibian and sea-urchin embryos.
- To investigate the mechanisms driving cell rearrangement in these distinct embryonic systems.
Main Methods:
- Time-lapse cinemicrography to observe cell movements in real-time.
- Scanning electron microscopy to analyze cell morphology and surface interactions.
Main Results:
- Deep cell rearrangement in Xenopus laevis involves convergence and axial extension, driven by asynchronous cell motions and local cell-cell contact guidance.
- Epithelial cell rearrangement in sea-urchin embryos elongates the archenteron and closes the blastopore, involving stage-specific basal protrusions.
Conclusions:
- Distinct cell behaviors and protrusive activities underlie cell rearrangement in amphibian and sea-urchin gastrulation.
- Basal protrusions of epithelial cells in sea urchins may play a significant role in the rearrangement process.