A reinvestigation of the role of the grey crescent in axis formation in Xenopus laevis

Abstract

Gravitationally induced displacements of the contents of the frog egg can predictably determine the orientation of the subsequent dorsal–ventral axis of the embryo, regardless of the original position of sperm entry or of the grey crescent. In certain conditions, these displacements in the egg can also lead to the formation of a second axis, that is, to twinning. The previously reported ability of grafts of grey crescent cortex to induce secondary axes in recipient eggs is interpreted here as an unrecognized twinning effect of gravity. Our results lead us to question the classic interpretation of the grey crescent as a dorsal determinant in amphibian development.