Related Experiment Videos
Desmosome frequency: Experimental alteration may correlate with differential cell adhesion
Journal of Cell Science
|June 1, 1981
Summary
Differential cell adhesion influences embryonic tissue rearrangement. Increased desmosome frequency correlates with internal tissue segregation, while decreased frequency is linked to external segregation, supporting their role in tissue positioning.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Differential cell adhesion is a key mechanism guiding tissue rearrangement during embryonic development.
- Desmosome frequency is a potential factor influencing cell adhesion and tissue positioning.
- Previous studies demonstrated experimental alteration of tissue positioning in embryonic chick heart ventricle.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between desmosome frequency and tissue positioning behavior in embryonic chick heart ventricle.
- To determine if changes in adherens junction frequency correlate with altered tissue segregation tendencies.
- To establish a hierarchy of tissue positioning based on experimental conditions and desmosome frequency.
Main Methods:
- Culturing embryonic chick heart ventricle tissue under different conditions (2.5 days vs. 0.5 days, intact fragments vs. reaggregates).
- Quantifying adherens junction and desmosome frequency in experimental tissues.
- Analyzing tissue rearrangement and segregation patterns (internal vs. external).
Main Results:
- Pre-culture duration and tissue preparation (fragments vs. reaggregates) significantly altered tissue positioning behavior.
- Treatments promoting internal segregation increased adherens junction frequency, while those promoting external segregation decreased it.
- A consistent hierarchy was observed: 2.5-day fragments > 2.5-day reaggregates > 0.5-day fragments > 0.5-day reaggregates, correlating with desmosome frequency and segregation tendency.
Conclusions:
- Desmosome frequency is directly correlated with the tendency for internal tissue segregation during embryogenesis.
- Differential adhesion, mediated by structures like desmosomes, plays a crucial role in guiding embryonic tissue positioning.
- Experimental manipulation of tissue culture conditions can predictably alter both cell adhesion dynamics and tissue rearrangement outcomes.