Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
07:45
An Explant Assay for Assessing Cellular Behavior of the Cranial Mesenchyme
Published on: January 20, 2013
Early functional differentiation in the chick embryonic disc: interaction between mechanical activity and
1Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Journal of Cell Science. Supplement
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Ectodermal cell contractions in chick blastoderms drive embryonic development by influencing the extracellular matrix. Mechanical balance is crucial, as altered fibronectin affects cell tension and embryonic form.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- The early chick blastoderm provides a model for studying cell-matrix interactions during embryonic development.
- Understanding the mechanical forces and extracellular matrix organization is key to deciphering developmental processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanical behavior of ectodermal cells in the area opaca.
- To analyze the supracellular organization of fibronectin in the extracellular matrix.
- To explore the interplay between cellular mechanical activity and extracellular matrix assembly.
Main Methods:
- Real-time image analysis to track cell activity and tension.
- Immunocytochemical techniques to visualize fibronectin patterns.
- In vitro culture of whole chick blastoderms.
Main Results:
- Ectodermal cells in the area opaca exhibit radial contractions, influencing area pellucida distension.
- Increased tension due to anti-fibronectin antibodies demonstrates matrix-cytoskeletal communication.
- Fibronectin fibrils align radially, correlating with cell contraction direction and mesodermal cell migration.
Conclusions:
- An optimal mechanical equilibrium is essential for normal embryonic development (gastrulation and neurulation).
- The extracellular matrix organization can be influenced by cellular mechanical activity.
- The chick blastoderm is a valuable model for studying coordinated cellular activities driving morphogenesis.
Related Concept Videos
01:42The Extracellular Matrix
In order to maintain tissue organization, many animal cells are surrounded by structural molecules that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM). Together, the molecules in the ECM maintain the structural integrity of tissue as well as the remarkable specific properties of certain tissues.Composition of the Extracellular MatrixThe extracellular matrix (ECM) is commonly composed of ground substance, a gel-like fluid, fibrous components, and many structurally and functionally diverse molecules.
01:33Cleavage and Blastulation
After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.
01:56Gastrulation
Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...
01:51Determination
During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...
01:29The Extracellular Matrix
Overview
In order to maintain tissue organization, many animal cells are surrounded by structural molecules that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM). Together, the molecules in the ECM maintain the structural integrity of tissue as well as the remarkable specific properties of certain tissues.
Composition of the Extracellular Matrix
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is commonly composed of ground substance, a gel-like fluid, fibrous components, and many structurally and functionally diverse...
In order to maintain tissue organization, many animal cells are surrounded by structural molecules that make up the extracellular matrix (ECM). Together, the molecules in the ECM maintain the structural integrity of tissue as well as the remarkable specific properties of certain tissues.
Composition of the Extracellular Matrix
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is commonly composed of ground substance, a gel-like fluid, fibrous components, and many structurally and functionally diverse...
01:13Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces
In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue.
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...