Direct Evidence for in vitro Binding of a Lectin from Arachis hypogea to Endoblastic Primordial Germ Cells of Amphibian Embryos: (Peanut-agglutinin binding primordial germ cells/embryos/Amphibian).

Peanut agglutinin was previously shown to have a specific affinity for primordial germ cells (PGCs) from anuran amphibian embryos. For separation of these cells from endoblastic ones, suspensions of dissociated cells from the endoblastic masses of Xenopus laevis and Rana dalmatina embryos were treated with peanut agglutinin. This treatment resulted in agglutination of a small number of cells, and these aggregates were separated from unaggregated single cells by gravity in 50% calf serum medium.

Effects of the removal of neural crest anlage upon endodermal morphogenesis and primordial germ cells migration in toad embryo.

The anlagen of neural tube or neural tube and neural crests were removed from toad embryos at the early neurula stage. The removal of the neural tube anlage does not affects the normal development of embryos. The removal of neural tube plus neural crest anlagen results in major disturbances of both endodermal morphogenesis and primordial germ cell migration.

Notochordal Catecholamines in Exogastrulated Xenopus Embryos: (catecholamines/exogastrulae/neurectoderm/notochord/xenopus).

The notochord of anuran amphibian embryos, treated according to the procedure of Falk et al. (1962) in early stages, exhibits the characteristic formaldehyde-induced fluorescence of catecholamines. Neurectodermal derivatives, such as the neural tube and neural crests are known to synthesize catecholamines in more advanced stages.