IN VITRO MYOGENESIS OF PROMUSCLE CELLS FROM REGENERATING TAIL OF LIZARD ANOLIS CAROLINENSIS

Presumptive myoblasts from the regenerating tail of the lizard plated at clonal density undergo extensive growth giving rise to large colonies. After several days in culture at 31°C some of the cells begin to round up and assume a spherical morphology. The number of rounded up cells increases over the next few days until 50 to 75% of the cells are rounded up. If the cultures are switched to a permissive medium, fusion and differentiation occur. If they are left in a nonpermissive medium fusion does not occur. Instead, the cells stretch out on the substrate and become long and attenuated or broad and strap‐like. However, differentiation may continue in some of the cells giving mononucleate cells with cross striations. Autoradiographic studies indicate that the rounded up cells represent a post‐synthesis, prefusion population of cells. Copyright © 1968 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.