Embryo culture in teratological surveillance and serum proteins in development. Comprehensive fourteen year report, 1968-1982

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5102968

Klein, N W

A testing procedure is being developed which may reduce the incidence of birth defects. The procedure uses in vitro cultures of whole rat embryos. Early studies on the nutrition of embryos involved attempts to culture whole chick embryos on protein-free chemically defined media. Media containing proteins from whole egg were superior. No single protein would support growth and development, at least two proteins were required. One protein was a transferrin, the second protein could be either ovalbumin or lipovitellin. To determine the path taken by nutrient proteins from medium to embryo, radioactive ovalbumin was prepared. The results showed that intact ovalbumin was taken up by the extra-embryonic yolk-sac and degraded to constituent amino acids within this structure. This observation was difficult to reconcile with the observed responses of the embryo to nutrient proteins. Consideration was given to yolk-sac function. When isolated yolk-sacs were incubated in Ringer's salt solution, they synthesized and secreted a distinct group of proteins. Yolk-sacs cultured on media containing various protein constituents synthesized serum proteins in relative amounts that were distinct for each medium. This suggested that the embryo responses to various culture media were mediated by changes in the relative synthesis of serum proteins. This hypothesis led to two lines of experimentation: what are the mechanisms regulating the relative synthesis of serum proteins by the yolk-sac; and do serum proteins actually provide signals of developmental significance. The first question led to studies with cultures of endodermal cells while the second question led to work on the development of a test for teratological surveillance. (ERB)

• Research Organization: Connecticut Univ., Storrs (USA). Dept. of Animal Genetics
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76EV03139
• OSTI ID: 5102968
• Report Number(s): DOE/EV/03139-47; COO-3139-47; ON: DE82020442
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200 -- Biochemistry
551000* -- Physiological Systems
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALBUMINS
ANIMALS
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
BIOSYNTHESIS
BIRDS
CHICKENS
EMBRYOS
FETAL MEMBRANES
FOWL
FUNCTIONS
GLOBULINS
GLOBULINS-BETA
MEMBRANES
METALLOPROTEINS
NUTRITION
ONTOGENESIS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTEINS
SYNTHESIS
TERATOGENESIS
TISSUE CULTURES
TRANSFERRIN
VERTEBRATES