Well, to all the fans of the axolotl, I must admit that this is indeed an
interesting breed. Unfortunately, however, I am experiencing
difficulties in handling the embryos.
I am looking for some advice on handling the embryos after I have removed
the vitelline membrane. I am working in different concentrations of NAM
and have found that by using this medium, I am having more success in
removing the membrane without puncturing the actual embryo. This was a
great improvement over working in the solution that the embryos came
in. One problem still exists. The ectoderm of the embryo in contact
with the plastic petri dish is deteriorating, leaving an embryo with a
yolky bottom and a perfectly good animal hemisphere. This has happened
over and over again, and I'm wondering whether it's the medium that I'm
working in. I've tried using antibiotics (gentamicin), thinking that the
problem might lie bacteria growing on the plastic petri dish. But this
proved to not be the problem either.
My suspicion is that the embryo is faced with the problem of becoming a
flat glob of cells without the protective vitelline membrane. I am
working on lineage studies of cilia and would like to see my embryos
making it past stage 26-28 (according to Detlaff's table). Please give
feel free to give me some advice. It would be greatly appreciated, as I
am feeling really bad about these wasted embryos.
Steve Hua (the guy who switched from Necturus to the ever popular
Ambystoma mexicanum.)
<u9114317 at muss.cis.mcmaster.ca>
