TISSUE-NONSPECIFIC ALKALINE-PHOSPHATASE PARTICIPATES IN THE ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWTH OF FEATHER GERMS IN EMBRYONIC CHICK SKIN CULTURES

Alkaline phosphatase activity is present in the mesoderm of embryonic chick skin and becomes spatially restricted to the dermal condensation of the developing feather germs, Inhibitors to tissue-nonspecific (li ver/bone/kidney), but not intestinal, alkaline phosphatase inhibit the establishment and growth of feather germs in cultured skins, A window of maximum sensitivity to the inhibitor was observed to be the first day of culture when early development and establishment of pattern tak es place. The cDNA for the avian tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphata se was cloned and sequenced, and Southern analysis revealed a single c opy of this gene in the avian genome. Northern analysis revealed that a 2.8 kb transcript for this form of alkaline phosphatase is present i n developing skin. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.