Cellular Basis of Morphogenesis

Cellular Basis of Morphogenesis Chairman: L. Wolpert 1989 The establishment of body pattern in developing embryos has been studied since early this century. Descriptive accounts have been superseded by systematic screening for mutants, identification of the genes involved and isolation of these genes; firstly in organisms such as Drosophila where genetic techniques are well established, more recently in mammals using transfection and insertional mutagenesis. This book focuses on the interface between genes and cells, covering genetic analysis, cloning studies, and the investigation of cell lineages and cellular interactions. The opening chapters describe how the body axes are already determined in the eggs of invertebrates and amphibia. In all species, as the egg cleaves, cells are assigned to specific lineages, which give rise to different tissues in the adult. The mechanisms underlying these processes in annelids, arthropods, amphibia and mice are discussed. After a cell has adopted a particular fate, its position in the final body plan is the result of cell sorting and, in some cases, cell migration. The final chapters cover the characterization of the molecules that mediate these activities. Related Ciba Foundation Symposia: No 138 Plasticity of the neuromuscular system Chairman: A. J. Buller 1988 ISBN 0 471 91902 0 No 145 Carbohydrate recognition in cellular function Chairman: E. Ruoslahti 1989 ISBN 0 471 92307 9 (in press)