skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Calcium in the developing Ambystoma neural axis shown by 3H and fluorescent chlortetracycline and atomic absorption spectrometry

Journal Article · · Anatomical Record; (USA)
 [1]
  1. State Univ. of New York, New Paltz (USA)

The calcium ion has been implicated in the mediation of the morphogenetic movements that occur during neural tube formation. The present study identifies high levels of calcium in the neuroepithelium of the neural plate, folds, and tube. These levels are substantially higher than those discerned elsewhere in the embryo. The calcium is localized in morphogenetically active regions by using the antibiotic chlortetracycline (CTC) which chelates calcium and is demonstrated in this investigation by both autoradiography and calcium-linked fluorescence. The specificity of CTC reaction for calcium in the developing neural axis is confirmed by EGTA competition. A comparison of the actual calcium levels in the developing neural axis (dorsal) with equivalently weighted ventral tissues was obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). This method provides a total count of the calcium without any loss during tissue processing. For AAS, living tissues were precisely excised and immediately dessicated. Each tissue sample (dry weight 1.5 mg) was then solubilized for analysis. The spectrometric data reveal that the embryonic dorsal aspect forming the neural tube contains 57% more calcium than an equivalent weight of the ventral aspect.

OSTI ID:
6057212
Journal Information:
Anatomical Record; (USA), Vol. 228:4; ISSN 0003-276X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English