Morphogenetic behaviour of the rat embryonic ectoderm as a renal homograft

Halves of transversely or longitudinally cut primary ectoderm of the pre-primitive streak and the early primitive streak rat embryonic shield developed after 15-30 days in renal homografts into benign teratomas composed of various adult tissues, often in perfect organ-specific associations. No clear difference exists in histological composition of grafted halves of the same embryonic ectoderm. The primary ectoderm of the pre-primitive streak rat embryonic shield grafted under the kidney capsule for 2 days displayed an atypical morphogenetic behaviour, characterized by diffuse breaking up of the original epithelial layer into mesenchyme. Some of these cells associated into cystic or tubular epithelial structures. The definitive ectoderm of the head-fold-stage rat embryo grown as renal homograft for 1-3 days gave rise to groups of mesenchymal cells. These migrated from the basal side of the ectoderm in a manner which mimicked either the formation of the embryonic mesoderm or the initial migration of neural crest cells. This latter morphogenetic activity was retained in the entire neural epithelium of the early somite embryo but was only seen in the caudal open portion of the neural groove at the 10- to 12-somite stage. The efficient histogenesis in grafts of dissected primary ectoderm and the atypical morphogenetic behaviour of grafted primary and definitive rat embryonic ectoderm were discussed in the light of current concepts on mosaic and regulative development, interactive events during embryogenesis and positioning and patterning of cells by controlled morphogenetic cell displacement.