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Showing papers on "Transdifferentiation published in 1975"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This report will constitute the first demonstration of a switch in the differentiation of cells from older chick embryos with a well-established anatomical structure and be the first report on cellular “transdifferentiation” in a monolayer-cell culture.
Abstract: The problem whether differentiated or determined cells can switch other directions of cell differentiation is, no doubt, basically related to our general understanding of stability in differentiation. One of the most reliable examples of such a switch is the differentiation of the lens from the progeny of the pigmented iris. This invariably occurs in Wolffian lens regeneration in lentectomized newts. The formation of a neural retina from a pigmented retina, tapetum, has also been indicated in the regeneration of eye tissues in Amphibians and early chick embryos. These phenomena, which are called metaplasia, have been studied in in situ experiments or in vitro culture starting from tissue fragments. Therefore, there has not yet been any critical evidence for a switch of the cell type, i.e., for the occurrence of the “transdifferentiation” of cells. This article will discuss several examples of a switch of cell types in a monolayer cell culture starting from dissociated cells and in a clonal culture starting from a single cell. As materials, chick embryos of 8-9 days of incubation were used. In the literatures as thus far published, the metaplasia of eye tissues of chicks in situ occurred only in very early embryos (up to 5 days of incubation). Thus, this report will constitute the first demonstration of a switch in the differentiation of cells from older chick embryos with a well-established anatomical structure; it will also be the first report on cellular “transdifferentiation” in a monolayer-cell culture. Original papers on the work have appeared elsewhere.

6 citations