Summary
The mutationlethal (1) myospheroid causes death in affectedDrosophila melanogaster embryos. The action of this gene was investigated by culturing normal and mutant embryonic cells in vitro. Under these culture conditions, normal myoblasts and neuro-blasts differentiated to yield myocytes and neurons. The action of the mutant gene was manifested in an altered differentiation of at least two cell types, myocytes and neurons. It prevented differentiation of all myocytes and a fraction of the neurons in vitro. Failure of these cells to differentiate in vitro suggests that the mutation affects the integrity of myocytes and neurons in vivo and contributes to themyospheroid lethal effect.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lesseps, R. J.. 1965. Culture of dissociatedDrosophila embryos: aggregated cells differentiate and sort out. Science 148: 502–503.
Seecof, R. L., and R. L. Unanue. 1968. Differentiation of embryonicDrosphila cellsin vitro. Exp. Cell Res. 50: 654–660.
Shields, G., and J. H. Sang. 1970. Characteristics of five cell types appearing duringin vitro culture of embryonic material fromDrosophila melanogaster. J. Embryol. Exp. Morphol. 23: 53–69.
Seecof, R. L., N. Alléaume, R. L. Teplitz, and I. Gerson. 1971. Differentiation of neurons and myocytes in cell cultures made fromDrosophila gastrulae. Exp. Cell Res. 39: 161–173.
Wright, T. R. F.. 1960. The phenogenetics of the embryonic mutant lethal myospheroid inDrosophila melanogaster. J. Exp. Zool. 143: 77–99.
Ashhurst, D.E.. 1968. The connective tissues of insects. Ann. Rev. Entomol. 13: 45–74.
Porter, K. R., and M. A. Bonneville. 1968.Fine Structure of Cells and Tissues. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia.
Lindsley, D., and E. H. Grell. 1967. Genetic variations ofDrosophila melanogaster. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Publ. No. 627, p. 122.
Wright, T. R. F.. 1970. The genetics of embryogenesis inDrosophila. Adv. Genet. 15: 261–394.
Donady, J. J., and R. L. Seecof. 1971. The effect of lethal myospheroid onDrosophila muscle and nerve cell differentiationin vitro (abstr.). Genetics 66: s15.
Seecof, R. L., R. L. Teplitz, I. Gerson, K. Ikeda, and J. J. Donady. 1972. Differenetiation of neuromuscular junctions in cultures ofDrosophila embryonic cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69: 566–570.
Seecof, R. L., and R. L. Teplitz. 1971.Drosophila neuron differentiationin vitro. Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immunol. 55: 71–75.
Seecof, R. L., and J. J. Donady. 1971.Drosophila myoblast differentiationin vitro. Genetics 68: s60.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by National Institutes of Health Grants AI05038 and NS09330 to R.L.S.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
James Donady, J., Seecof, R.L. Effect of the genelethal (1) myospheroid onDrosophila embryonic cells in vitro. In Vitro 8, 7–12 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02617937
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02617937