Tissue specific differentiation of dorsal mesoderm in Xenopus mid-gastrula embryos]

Genes involved in differentiation of notochord or muscle are expressed in specific regions of the involuted dorsal mesoderm in mid-gastrula Xenopus embryo. The presumptive notochord or the presomitic mesoderm have been cultured either in isolation or recombination to investigate whether these tissues have been determined. Cell differentiation was checked by specific markers of notochord (Shh) or muscle cell (desmin, myosin). The results show that the presumptive notochord can differentiate into vacuolated notochord with a weak expression of Shh, while the presomitic mesoderm differentiate into muscle cells with a normal expression of desmin and myosin in vitro. The same result was obtained when the two tissues have been cocultured. These data suggest that the cell fate of the involuted dorsal mesoderm in mid-gastrula has been determined, cells can differentiate according to their fates without further signals from the adjacent tissues, but no functional structures can be formed by these tissues in vitro.