Developmental and biochemical alterations caused by tunicamycin inBufo arenarum embryos

Abstract

Bufo arenarum eggs at late blastula and gastrula were treated with tunicamycin, an inhibitor of glycoprotein glycosylation, to investigate its effects on morphogenesis and neural induction. Because of the low permeability of the amphibian egg to a number of drugs, the blastocoel was opened surgically prior to treatment. Almost all of the eggs treated with the antimetabolite, at a concentration of 10 μg/ml, from late blastula stage for 24h exhibited exogastrulation. The effect is dose- and stage-dependent as shown by the lower proportion of exogastrulae obtained when eggs are treated at a lower concentration (5 μg/ml) or after the onset of gastrulation. Treatment with the antimetabolite did not interfere with neural induction, as partial exogastrulae developed a small neural tube. The most striking biochemical effect was an enhanced uptake of glucose, mannose and leucine. The incorporation of mannose into acid-insoluble material was severely inhibited by tunicamycin, with a concomitant decrease of leucine incorporation into the acid-soluble pool.

Keywords: Cell permeability; Exogastrulation; Neural induction; Tunicamycin.