Aggregation of Dissociated Embryonic Chick Cells at 3° C

Abstract

WHILE investigations of the effects of environmental factors on aggregation in vitro of dissociated embryonic cells were under way in this laboratory¹, Curtis reported² that “extensive visible coherent re-aggregation” occurred at 3° C in suspensions of embryonic chick limb bud cells in a medium without serum. He concluded that the cells were able to aggregate normally at low temperatures, and that horse serum inhibited cell aggregation at sub-optimal temperatures. These conclusions differed from the previously demonstrated^3,4 and corroborated⁵ temperature-dependence of aggregation of trypsin-dissociated embryonic cells. Because versene (EDTA) was the dissociating agent used in Curtis's experiments, the possibility arose that, in contrast to trypsin-dissociated cells^3–5, cells dissociated with versene might be able to aggregate normally at low temperatures; since such differences in aggregation behaviour between differently dissociated cells would be of obvious interest and usefulness in studies on cell adhesiveness, attempts were made to repeat and extend Curtis's results, using his experimental procedures.