Weil — Development Practical — Easter 2021

BIOLOGY OF CELLS Tim Weil

Easter - Week 4 Practical tw419@cam.ac.uk

The Embryo Zoo

Introduction

The aim of this demonstration is to introduce you to the embryos of the model organisms
that you have been discussing in lectures. Our intention is not to burden you with a huge
amount of extra information in learn. The principal aim is to show you what these embryos
look like so that you can appreciate how they develop and why they are ideal for particular
types of analysis. Some of the embryos are alive so that you can watch them develop
during the practical, or over longer time if you come in again later in the week.

Note: A brief developmental series for each species is provided with the notes. Other
details are laid out beside the embryos benches. These are intended to help you
understand what you can expect to see.

For some of the species, there are fixed embryos stained for the expression of specific
gene products. There are also mutant embryos, or adults, so that you can see the defects
in development that results when the function of a particular genes is removed.

Handout
— Normal table of development for six model organisms
— Quiz (Part A and B)
— Recent past papers question

Organisation
(1) Go to the assigned first station.
(2) Explore the material at the station and discuss questions with the demonstrator.
(3) Complete the quiz questions for that station.
(4) When instructed, rotate to the next station.
(5) After all stations have been visited, there will be open viewing.

Tasks
(1) Visit every station (1-7)
(2) Complete Part A of the Quiz
(3) Complete Part B of the Quiz
(4) Attempt past papers question

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Caenorhabditis elegans (Worm) (STATION 1)

A B C D

E F G H

I J K L

DIC Microscopy
A) Pronuclear fusion - formation of the one-cell embryo
B) First mitosis
C) 2-cell embryo: AB cell is larger than the P1 cell
D) 4-cell embryo
E) 8 cell embryo
F) Beginning of gastrulation
G) End of gastrulation
H) Comma-stage embryo
I) Tadpole-stage embryo
J) Pretzel-stage embryo
K) 1-fold stage embryo
L) 2-fold stage embryo

C. elegans was the first multicellular animal to have its genome sequenced. This
(1) ______ model system has a pattern of cell division that is largely (2) _______.
The complete lineage of every cell has been worked out and a (3) _______ map
can be accurately drawn at any stage with precision not found in other systems.

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Non-model organism samples (STATION 2)

Arabadopsis Thaliana (Plant) (STATION 3)

A: Octant stage; defects in early embryos include abnormally oriented cell divisions.
B - D: Globular and heart stages; largely normal cell arrangement,
E: Torpedo stage; pronounced length-to-width changes are evident in cells along the
length of the embryo, particularly in the outer layers.
Scale bars = 20 μm in A, B; 50 μm in C, D; 75 μm in E

L, Bent-cotyledon stage.
Scale bars = 100 μm

For plant development Arabidopsis serves as the main model organism. One
reason is that, unlike many other plant species, Arabidopsis has a small
(4) __________ with less (5) _________ DNA.

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Xenopus laevis (Frog) (STATION 4)

The Xenopus embryo is sufficiently large and robust for relatively easy
(6)__________. However Xenpous laevis has the disadvantage of being
(7)_______ (it has (8) _______ rather than 2 sets of chromosomes in somatic cells)
and a relatively long (9)__________ making it less amenable for genetic analysis.

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Gallus gallus (Chick) (STATION 5)

(A-C) Dorsal view of the formation and elongation (D-F) Formation of notochord and mesodermal
of the primitive streak. The blastoderm is seen at somites as the primitive streak regresses, shown
(A) 3-4 hours, (B) 7-8 hours, and (C) 15-16 hours (D) 19-22 hours, (E) 23-24 hours, and (F) the four
after fertilisation. somite stage.

5: Somite
6: Eye vesicle
9: Heart
11: Spine
13: Primitive
Streak

33-36 hour embryo

The chicken embryo has long been studied as an example of (10) __________
development because fertile eggs are easily available, the embryo withstands
experimental microsurgical manipulation very well (e.g. (11) __________ grafts)
and it can be cultured outside the egg.
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Danio rerio (Zebrafish) (STATION 6)

Zebrafish are emerging as a powerful vertebrate model system because, unlike

other vertebrate embryos, fish embryos are (12) __________ allowing cell division
and tissue movement to be followed easily.

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Drosophila melanogaster (Fly) (STATION 7)

pole (germ) cells

The fruit fly has a short generation time and can be bred in large numbers so large-
scale crosses can be set up and followed over several (13) __________. Over 100
years has produced detailed genetic maps and (14) __________ stocks making
Drosophila the premier genetic model. The (15) _______ cells are at the posterior
of the early embryo and contain germ plasm, which is required to make the future
(16) ________ or (17) ________ in the adults.

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Quiz (Part B)

7. The organiser in Xenopus is responsible for

initiating involution and gastrulation, specifying the
dorsal region of the embryo, driving mesodermal
fate and many other aspects of development.
What mechanism of development is this?

6. Describe the arrangement of the

germ layers (from the outside in) after
completion of this event 8

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Past Paper Questions from the Written Practical

2017

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2016

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2015

this

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