Electron microscope study of palate fusion in mouse embryos☆

[摘要] Anelectronmicroscopestudyofpalatalfusionin1412-daymouseembryoswasdone.Theepitheliumofthepalatineprocesseswasexaminedpriorto,during,andimmediatelyfollowingfusion.Significantfindingsincludethefollowing.Intheprefusionpalatineprocess,thebasementlaminaunderlyingtheepitheliumwasdiscontinuousandtherewereepithelialcellprojectionsintotheconnectivetissuespace.Atthetimeoffusionnomembranespecializationswerefoundoncontactingsurfacecellsofopposingpalatalprocesses.Therewasevidence,however,oftrueadhesionbetweenepitheliaofopposingprocesses,butnoextracellular“stickysubstance”wasdemonstrable.Immediatelyfollowingpalatalfusiontherewaswidespreadevidenceofcelldeathinthemidlineepithelialseam.Deadepithelialcellswerephagocytizedbyneighboringepithelialcellsinthefusionlineandbyinvadingconnectivetissuecells.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）