THE POSTNODAL PIECE (PNP) OF THE CHICK-EMBRYO AS A MODEL SYSTEM FOR STUDYING ORGAN DIFFERENTIATION

Citation
F. Debernardi et al., THE POSTNODAL PIECE (PNP) OF THE CHICK-EMBRYO AS A MODEL SYSTEM FOR STUDYING ORGAN DIFFERENTIATION, Toxicology in vitro, 9(5), 1995, pp. 583
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Toxicology
Journal title
ISSN journal
08872333
Volume
9
Issue
5
Year of publication
1995
Database
ISI
SICI code
0887-2333(1995)9:5<583:TPP(OT>2.0.ZU;2-B
Abstract
The postnodal piece of the chick embryo is prepared by cutting the bla stoderm 0.6 mm behind Hensen's node at the primitive streak stage. The explants with their area opaca can be maintained in flat culture (New 's method) for 24-30 hr. With this method the polarity and the connect ions between various sheets are maintained, but the explants are stret ched and difficult to handle for histology and immunostaining. Several PNPs from which the area opaca had been trimmed were cultured on one vitelline membrane (Niu and Deshpande's method) for up to 4 days witho ut stretching effects. The polarity and connections between the embryo nic sheets are hard to recognize, but explants can be easily processed for histology and immunofluorescence. In both culture types the expla nts can be easily treated, even with high molecular weight substances. Although the hat culture was useful for the induction of somites and of neural plates, we describe the advantages of culture without the ar ea opaca of neural plates induced by tubulin mRNA or by TPA, which can differentiate into neural tubes. We also demonstrated that TPA is a p owerful neural inducer in the chick embryo and stimulates cell prolife ration in ectoderm and endoderm.