Abstract
Anti-keratin monoclonal antibody AF5 was introduced into fertilized eggs of Xenopus laevis., and its effects on embryonic development were studied. Survival rate of the antikeratin-injected embryos was much lower (only 35.76% at gastrula) than that of the control (74.85% at gastrula), in which embryos were injected with mouse IgG. Most of survivors in the experimental series showed aberrant external appearance. On the other hand, in cleavage stage, ie 2-7 h after fertilization, immunohistochemical staining of embryos showed that the experimental embryos were mostly keratin negative, while embryos of the control ones were keratin positive. When introducing this antikeratin into one cell of a 2-cell embryo, only the uninjected half of the embryo continued its development while the other half could not develop at all. These results suggested that intact keratin cytoskeleton in early embryos is indispensable to the embryonic development of Xenopus laevis.
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The project was supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China.
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Plate 1
In the control, fertilized eggs were injected with normal mouse IgG (Group B), while antikeratin antibody (MAb AF5 IgG) was injected into fertilized eggs in the experimental series (Group A). See Fig 1, Fig 2, Fig 3, Fig 4, Fig 5, Fig 6, Fig 7, Fig 8
Plate 2
Only one cell of the 2-cell stage embryo was injected with antikeratin antibody(MAb AF5 IgG) in the experimental series(Group C). See Fig 9, Fig 10, Fig 11, Fig 12, Fig 13
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Yu, H., Xie, J., Cao, F. et al. Effect of antikeratin microinjection on the embryonic development of Xenopus laeyis. Cell Res 3, 147–156 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/cr.1993.16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/cr.1993.16
