Effects of fetal bovine serum and serum-free conditions on white and dark axolotl neural crest explants

Neural crest cells from both white mutant and dark (wildtype) axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) were cultured in increasing concentrations of fetal bovine serum (FBS; 2 to 20%). For each explant, the total number of cells that migrated and the percent of differentiated melanophores were recorded. At co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIn vitro cellular & developmental biology Vol. 27A; no. 5; p. 402
Main Authors Dean, A D, Frost-Mason, S K
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.05.1991
Subjects
Ambystoma
Animals
Cell Differentiation
Cell Movement
Cells, Cultured
Culture Media
Fetal Blood
Melanophores - physiology
Neural Crest - cytology
Pigmentation - physiology
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Summary:Neural crest cells from both white mutant and dark (wildtype) axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) were cultured in increasing concentrations of fetal bovine serum (FBS; 2 to 20%). For each explant, the total number of cells that migrated and the percent of differentiated melanophores were recorded. At concentrations of FBS above 2% melanophore differentiation was essentially equivalent (32 to 59%) for both the white and dark neural crest cultures, but subtle differences in cell behavior and differentiation were found between the two phenotypes. By contrast there was a significant difference in the percent melanization of cells in serum-free control cultures, wherein melanophore differentiation in dark neural crest cultures was, on average, 18% compared to 5% in white cultures. Thus, contrary to all previously published work, white and dark neural crest cells are not intrinsically equivalent. Our culture results are discussed with regard to the probable in vivo conditions that cause the white phenotype.
ISSN:0883-8364
2327-431X
DOI:10.1007/BF02630960