Studies on some aspects of the rôle of sulfhydryl groups in morphogenesis

Abstract

ABSTRACT The importance of sulfhydryl compounds in the process of morphogenesis was pointed out by Brachet (1950). Using specific inhibitors of -SH such as chloroacetophenone, it has been shown that embryos develop a number of malformations when the activity of -SH groups is interfered with (Beatty, 1951; Deuchar, 1957; Lakshmi, 1962a). It has been observed that the abnormalities are mainly in the nervous system and these findings are in agreement with the distribution of -SH groups in embryos of amphibia (Brachet, 1950) and chick (Rulon, 1935). These studies have vindicated the importance of -SH containing proteins stressed by Brachet. In the present report are described some studies using chloroacetophenone (CAP) as an -SH inhibitor and cysteine to reverse its action.