X-Ray Effect on the Development of Xenopus laevis Embryos-With Special Reference to Primordial Germ Cells

• Published in: JOURNAL OF RADIATION RESEARCH 1979, Vol.20 (1), p.133-136
• Main Author: KEN-ICHI IJIRI
• Format: Article
• Language: Japanese
• ISSN: 0449-3060

X-ray/Xenopus embryos/Primordial. Germ cell formation/Abnormality and lethality of embryos Germ cell formation process in embryos and larvae is known to be susceptible to radiations, as are most of the morphogenetic processes during such stages. Since primordial germ cells are easy to distinguish histologically from sornatic cells, and their number per animal generally falls within the range 20-100 for most vertebrates, counting their number permits a quantitative assessment of radiation effect on the formation of these cells during development. In the teleost fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes), such quantitative treatment has previously been performed for the effect of γ-rays on primordial germ cell formation. Although many studies on radiosensitivity of amphibian embryos have been published, few works have been done for the quantitative assessment through germ cell counting. In Xenopus laevis, we have established a system for counting primordial germ cells in tadpoles, which worked out well in evaluating the effect of local u. v. -irradiation of embryos on their germ cell formation process. In this preliminary experiment, numbers of primordial germ cells in tadpoles which had developed from X-irradiated embryos were examined, together with lethality and abnormalities during development.