ALTERED CONTACT BEHAVIOR OF PRESUMPTIVE MESODERMAL CELLS FROM HYBRID AMPHIBIAN EMBRYOS ARRESTED AT GASTRULATION

Contact behavior of presumptive mesodermal cells taken from normal amphibian embryos, hybrid embryos, and hybrid embryos arrested at gastrulation was investigated. Normal cells have a high ability to flatten on a glass substratum and reaggregate. Cells from a viable hybrid which shows some abnormalities in invagination have an intermediate ability to flatten on a glass substratum and an undiminished ability to reaggregate. Cells from three different types of hybrid embryos arrested at gastrulation have a low ability to flatten on a glass substratum and reaggregate. The implications of these results for hypotheses concerning mechanisms of morphogenetic cell movements are discussed. Copyright © 1969 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company