Journal of Cell Science, Vol 15, 259-267, Copyright © 1974 by Company of Biologists

Submitted on September 21, 1973
Revised on December 20, 1973

Furrow Formation on a Piece of Cortex Transplanted to the Cleavage Plane of the Newt Egg

¹ Department of Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Fukasawa-cho, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan; The Biological Laboratory, Faculty of General Education, Yamagata University, Koshirakawa-cho, Yamagata City, Japan

As part of an investigation of cleavage furrow formation in the egg of the urodele, Cynops pyrrhogaster, transplantation of the cortex was tried. A piece of the cortex with as little cytoplasm and yolk as possible, derived from various stages, was transplanted to the cleavage plane of another egg, using a fine glass needle.

Concerning the position on which grafting was carried out when transplantation was made to the future site of the host furrow, the cleavage furrow of the host travelled across the graft. When the site of transplantation was on the already formed furrow, the result was positive at the animal half, but negative at the vegetal half. With regard to the graft itself, transplantation was successful regardless of the stage and of the position on the egg from which the graft was taken.

In grafts of the cortex of Xenopus egg on to Cynops eggs, only one successful result was obtained in about twenty trials.