Effect of 3′-deoxyadenosine (cordycepin) on the early development of the sand dollar, Dendraster excentricus

Abstract

The embryos of the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus have been examined with regard to their ability to undergo the early events of larval development in the presence of cordycepin, a reported inhibitor of RNA adenylylation. It has been shown that all the morphogenetic events from hatching to prism are inhibited by cordycepin at a concentration of 25 μg/ml, while the aspects of development prior to hatching (cleavage, blastulation, and the formation of cilia) are not affected by cordycepin. The period of sensitivity of each developmental event to cordycepin has been determined; for the early developmental processes this period substantially precedes the event, while for later processes there is a closer temporal association. In embryos treated with cordycepin, DNA synthesis and cleavage are unaffected prior to hatching, but subsequently are blocked, whereas respiration and total RNA synthesis per cell remain unaffected.