M. Stanisstreet*, M. Smedley, and D. P. Moore, Department of Zoology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX

Neurulation is accompanied by changes in the shapes of the cells of the neural ectoderm and microfilaments appear in neural cells at the time when they are changing shape. Thus it is reasonable to assume that neurulation is effected, at least in part, by co-ordinated changes in cell shape brought about by microfilament contraction. Since in non-embryonic systems the contraction of microfilaments is initiated by changes in the level of intracellular free calcium, calcium is implicated as being important in mammalian neurulation.

In the present experiments rat embryos at 10-5 days of gestation, as a stage when the neural folds are elevated but not fused, have been cultured in various media, and then examined by scanning electron microscopy. Embryos cultured in medium without calcium show rapid collapse of the elevated neural folds. Addition...

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