Cell shape and cartilage differentiation of early chick limb bud cells in culture

The onset of chondrogenesis in te embryonic chick is preceded by a prechondrogenic condensation of the prospective cartilage cells. Similarly, in culture, the chondrogenic phenotype is only expressed by limb mesoderm cells plated at densities above confluence. This has led to the proposal that chondrogenic differentiation requires immediate histogenic interactions prior to overt chondrogenesis (Solursh et al., 1978, In Vitro 14, 51-61; and, 1980, Dev. Biol. 78, 141-150). It is noticeable that in both the in vitro situations cells secreting a cartilaginous matrix are rounded in shape. Recently, Glowacki, Trepman and Folkman (personal communication) have shown a dependence of phenotypic expression by mature chondrocytes on cell shape. Cells maintained in a rounded configuration by culturing on a semi-adhesive substratum (poly(HEMA)) synthesised more sulphur-containing extracellular matrix than cells allowed to flatten on normal tissue culture plastic. We have investigated whether there is a similar shape-dependent relationship in the differentiation of chick embryonic mesoblasts into actively secreting chondroblasts. Our results show that a rounded cell shape is conductive to the synthesis of a sulphated matrix.