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Journal of Experimental Biology 14,302-318 (1937)
Published by Company of Biologists 1937

The Behaviour of Epiblast Grafts Beneath the Primitive Streak of the Chick

M. ABERCROMBIE ¹

¹ Strangeways Research Laboratory, Cambridge; The Queen's College, Oxford

1. Grafts consisting of area opaca ectoderm, presumptive epidermis, presumptive neural tissue, or presumptive mesoderm (axial or side-plate), were transplanted to a position immediately under the primitive streak of chick blastoderms in the primitive streak stage.

2. The grafts, though they sometimes remained as a non-neural epithelium, were usually neurally induced, contemporaneously and co-extensively with the neural induction of the host. The graft-derived neural tissue is often much thicker than the host neural tissue, and though usually forming an autonomous structure, it is frequently arranged with a high degree of symmetry relative to the host. If, however, the graft remains for a long time uninduced, lying in the host mesenchyme, it tends to break up into mesenchyme itself.

3. It is probable that all parts of the epiblast, whatever their presumptive fate, are competent to form neural tissue, provided their epithelial structure is maintained; and it is notable that this is true of presumptive mesoderm.

4. The dorso-ventral polarity of the grafts is maintained whatever their orientation in the host; but the irreversible determination of this polarity was probably not tested. The antero-posterior polarity of the grafts was without effect on their differentiation.

5. An elongation of the graft along the antero-posterior axis of the host usually occurred. It was often very marked, and generally consisted in the posterior end of the graft accompanying the host primitive node as it moved backwards. It is believed to be due to the induction of an active movement in the graft itself.

6. The host is considerably modified by the presence of the graft. In particular, the head-fold is usually suppressed. The formation of the foregut is frequently upset, but the closed foregut shows a considerable power of regulation.