Effects of β-Mercaptoethanol on Morphogenesis in Amphibian Eggs

Abstract

IT has recently been shown by Mazia¹ that β-mercaptoethanol, a strongly reducing substance containing —SH, exerts powerful effects on sea urchin eggs (inhibition of cleavage, production of twin embryos). In the present work, the effects of mercaptoethanol (M/100-M/1,000) have been studied on amphibian eggs (frog, Pleurodeles and Axolotl) in order to test the hypothesis which I presented earlier ^2,3, that morphogenetic movements might be linked to oxidation of —SH groups of fibrous proteins. It was to be expected, according to this hypothesis, that mercaptoethanol would very effectively block protein —SH oxidation and, therefore, prevent morphogenetic movements. The experimental results indicate that this expectation has been fulfilled.