Effect of spatial position of uterine quail blastoderms cultured in vitro on bilateral symmetry formation.

A method of in vitro culture for uterine quail blastoderms has been developed, which allows them to develop from cleavage throughout gastrulation and further: stages 4-10 of Hamburger and Hamilton (1951). The method consists of cultivating the blastoderms on egg albumen in a vertical position; this permits about 50% of the blastoderms explanted before area pellucida formation to develop bilateral symmetry and to form normal primitive streak, somites and head structures. Development of the blastoderms explanted after their area pellucida was already formed, occurred normally and was not influenced by their spatial position in the culture.