Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Gap junctions in early amphibian embryos

R B Hanna, P G Model, D C Spray

The American Journal of Anatomy

|June 1, 1980

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Give CNAs a career ladder to climb.

Provider (Washington, D.C.)·2001

Same author

Human bladder cancer invasion model using rat bladder in vitro and its use to test mechanisms and therapeutic inhibitors of invasion.

British journal of cancer·2001

Same author

Exploring hemichannel permeability in vitro.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2001

Same author

Identification of novel hypoxia dependent and independent target genes of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumour suppressor by mRNA differential expression profiling.

Oncogene·2001

Same author

A phase II study of razoxane, an antiangiogenic topoisomerase II inhibitor, in renal cell cancer with assessment of potential surrogate markers of angiogenesis.

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research·2001

Same author

Hypoxia-inducible expression of tumor-associated carbonic anhydrases.

Cancer research·2001

Same journal

Sectioning for the electron microscope accomplished by the high speed microtome.

The American journal of anatomy·2010

Same journal

The basophilic bodies in hepatic cells.

The American journal of anatomy·2010

Same journal

Histochemical reactions of the placenta of the pig.

The American journal of anatomy·2010

Same journal

The development of the pharynx of the guinea pig with special emphasis on the morphogenesis of the thymus.

The American journal of anatomy·2010

Same journal

Experiments upon the midbrain of Amblystoma embryos.

The American journal of anatomy·2010

Same journal

The histology of the tadpole tail during metamorphosis, with special reference to the nervous system.

The American journal of anatomy·2010

See all related articles

Electrotonic coupling was observed in Ambystoma mexicanum embryos. Morphological analysis revealed gap junctions, but their voltage-dependent gating structures remain unresolved by current methods.

Area of Science:

Developmental biology
Cell biology
Biophysics

Background:

Cell-to-cell communication is crucial for embryonic development.
Electrotonic coupling, mediated by gap junctions, facilitates direct cell communication.
Ambystoma mexicanum embryos provide a model system for studying early developmental processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the presence and structure of gap junctions in early Ambystoma mexicanum embryos.
To correlate electrotonic coupling with the ultrastructure of gap junctions.
To explore potential morphological correlates of gap junction voltage-dependence.

Main Methods:

Thin-section electron microscopy to visualize cellular ultrastructure.
Freeze-fracture electron microscopy to examine membrane structures like gap junctions.

Related Experiment Videos

Electrophysiological assessment of cell coupling (implied by 'electrotonically coupled').

Main Results:

Electrotonic coupling was confirmed between cells from late cleavage and early blastula stages.
Electron microscopy revealed typical gap junctions composed of particle aggregates (P-face) and pits (E-face).
No distinct gating structures were morphologically identified within the gap junctions.

Conclusions:

Gap junctions are present and mediate electrotonic coupling in early Ambystoma mexicanum embryos.
While gap junctions are morphologically characterized, their voltage-dependent gating mechanisms require further investigation beyond standard electron microscopy.
This study provides a morphological basis for understanding intercellular communication during early amphibian development.