HISTOTYPIC IN-VITRO REORGANIZATION OF DISSOCIATED CELLS FROM MOUSE FETAL GONADS

Cell suspensions obtained from the testes of 13.5-14.5 day post coitum (dpc) mouse embryos reaggregate in cord-like structures following in vitro culture for 24 h on a reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel) . Ovarian cells of the same fetal age or cell suspensions from sex ind ifferent gonadal ridges (11.5 dpc embryos) form an organized cell netw ork but not cord-like structures. Antibodies directed against laminin or against the alpha(6) subunit of its integrin receptor prevent such morphogenetic processes. The addition of 5 mu g/ml cycloheximide, cyto chalasin B or tunicamycin also inhibits the phenomenon. Interestingly, compounds that increase intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) (dbcAMP, fors kolin and isobutyl-1-methylxanthine) induce embryonic testicular cells to organize into structures similar to those assembled by ovarian or sex indifferent cell suspensions. These findings offer a simple in vit ro model for studying some aspects of early gonad development and prov ide novel experimental evidence that cell motility and cell-cell adhes ion, possibly regulated by cAMP dependent mechanisms, are likely to pl ay an important role in gonad morphogenesis.