Premium
Cytophysiological basis of disruptive pigmentary patterns in the leopard frog Rana pipiens . II. Wild type and mutant cell‐specific patterns ,
Author(s) -
SmithGill Sandra J.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051460103
Subject(s) - biology , chromatophore , leopard frog , rana , epidermis (zoology) , melanophore , leopard , zoology , wild type , mutant , frog skin , anatomy , genetics , gene , chemistry , organic chemistry , sodium
A new pattern index, I p , is introduced and used to compare patterns of wild type, burnsi, and kandiyohi chromatophores in the leopard frog, Rana pipiens . Wild type chromatophores are hyperdispersed over distances within cellular contact, and it is concluded that this hyperdispersion results from contact‐mediated negative interactions. The hyperdispersion is less strong in spot cells than interspot, and extends over larger areas in burnsi than in wild type epidermis. Over areas greater than chromatophore size, patterns are either random or clumped. Patterning of kandiyohi melanophores is clumped into aggregates small enough to be within the range of cellular contact, suggesting a lack of contact inhibition among these cells. The possible roles of cellular properties and the extracellular environment in pattern determination are discussed.