Abstract
In the belief that intercellular communication plays a role in development, we have studied beating 7-day chick embryo heart cell aggregates and layers. In comparison with asynchronous controls we have shown correlations between synchronous beating and both the appearance of gap junctions revealed by freeze-fracture and electro-physiologic evidence of ionic coupling at the interface between them.
The freeze-fracture studies reveal gap junctions which are small, often unusual in shape and occur in clusters; these features are also characteristic of the gap junctions in intact hearts from embryos of the same age. When the interfaces between 11 synchronous and 10 asynchronous aggregate-layers were compared there were significant differences in the number of gap junctions and the total area of gap junctions per cell, but no significant differences in the number of cells containing junctions, the percent of total membrane area occupied by junctions, their density or their average size. The electrophysiological studies showed no propagation of stimulating current pulses from aggregate to layer in 16 asynchronous instances, but successful transmission in 6 of 7 synchronous aggregate-layers. These data indicate that synchronous beating is a sensitive detector of the presence of ionic coupling and of gap junctions, suggesting its usefulness in further studies of the role of intercellular communication in development.
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Griepp, E., Revel, JP., Peacock, J. et al. MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL CORRELATES OF SYNCHRONOUS BEATING BETWEEN EMBRYONIC HEART CELL AGGREGATES AND LAYERS. Pediatr Res 11, 406 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00219
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00219
