MORPHOGENESIS OF THE ATRICHOUS ISORHIZA, A TYPE OF NEMATOCYST, IN HYDRA OBSERVED WITH A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY

We produced a monoclonal antibody, AE03, which recognized mucous granu les in the basal disk gland cells in Hydra and the secreted mucus with which they stick onto substrate. AE03 also recognized atrichous isorh izas, one of the four types of nematocyst present in tentacles, and th eir nematoblasts present in the body column. With this monoclonal anti body, we could observe the detailed morphogenesis of the atrichous iso rhiza from the beginning of its formation. The elongation and invagina tion processes of external tubes and correspondence between the extern al tubes and the thread of discharged nematocysts were confirmed.