[Phenotypic modulation of chick embryo muscle cells in a suspension culture]

Three-dimensional aggregates are formed in the suspension culture by myoblasts of the chick embryo femoral muscle. Cells present in these aggregates undergo mitotic divisions just as in a monolayer; thereafter they fuse with the formation of myosimplasts. Further stages of myogenesis are impaired under the conditions of the suspension culture. This was manifested in the formation of atypical, massive spherical or vesicle-like thick-walled myosimplasts with dozens or hundreds of randomly clustered nuclei. After the replating and attachment to a glass surface myosimplasts undergo gladual elongation and differentiate into muscle fibers. Thus the attachment to the artificial solid support is a necessary prerequisite for the completion of morphogenesis in vitro.