Summary
The inhibitors of DNA synthesis change the differentiation of abdominal segments of the horseshoe crab and increase the number of segments in 90%–100% of the surviving embryos. The data suggest the following:
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1.
The primordia of segments are formed one by one from the cells at the posterior end of the embryonic area, and they are determined soon after formation.
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2.
When DNA synthesis inhibitors are applied, the forming primordium acquires a character intermediate between the anterior segment already determined and the segment next to be determined.
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3.
The abnormal differentiation is possibly caused by a time lag between DNA synthesis and the rest of metabolism.
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4.
The specific character of each segment of normal embryos and malformations successively determines that of the next segment.
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5.
By this route the whole number of segments is established.
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Itow, T. Inhibitors of DNA synthesis change the differentiation of body segments and increase the segment number in horseshoe crab embryos (Chelicerata, Arthropoda). Roux's Arch Dev Biol 195, 323–333 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00376065
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00376065