Alteration of cell shape in the early chick embryo mesoderm by neuraminidase

Summary Living chick embryo mesoderm cells (stages 3 to 5) were exposed to neuraminidase. The mesoderm cells changed shape losing their long thin processes and become like primitive streak cells, with short flat processes. Ruthenium red staining of such treated embryos shows that the surface coat on the mesoderm cells is reduced in thickness. These results show that cell shape in the chick embryo mesoderm is at least partly determined by the thickness and the composition of the surface coat.Acknowledgment. It is a pleasure to thank Professor F. Beck for the facilities of the Department of Anatomy, University of Leicester, and Mr. G. L. C. McTurk of the University of Leicester Scanning Electron Microscope Unit for operating the ISI 60 SEM. Mr Jeff Smith and Mrs Doris Duncan gave us valuable technical assistance and Dr. A. J. Rowe kindly allowed us to use the facilities of the Electron Microscope Unit, University of Leicester School of Biological Sciences, in specimen preparation.