A study of the effects of colchicine on the process of morphogenesis and induction in chick embryos.

The importance of sulfhydryl groups in the process of morphogenesis and induction has been discussed by several workers (Rapkine & Brachet, 1951; Seilern-Aspang, 1959; Brachet, 1960; Pohl & Quertier, 1963; Brachet, 1964). Lakshmi (1962a, b) studied the effects of chloroacetophenone on the development of chick embryos and emphasized the importance of sulfhydryl groups in morphogenesis and induction. Colchicine is known to affect cell division, probably by its action on sulfhydryl groups of the spindle proteins (Dustin, 1947; Mazia & Dan, 1952). In the present work the effect of colchicine on the processes of morphogenesis and induction in chick embryos has been studied. In order to gain further insight into the mechanism of action of the chemical it is useful to see if its action is reversible. Therefore, an attempt has been made to reverse the action of colchicine by cysteine.