Stage specific inhibition of sea urchin development by α-amanitin

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Abstract
The effects of α-amanitin on oocytes and on early embryogenesis of sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus have been investigated. Autoradiographic studies show that α-amanitin specifically inhibits 3H-uridine incorporation into the extranucleolar area of oocytes. Neither the initiation and progression of early cleavage nor the postblastula development of the embryos is significantly inhibited by α-amanitin, whereas the development of early blastula is specifically inhibited. Drastic inhibition of 3H-uridine incorporation is brought about by α-amanitin, whereas the development of early blastula is specifically inhibited. Drastic inhibition of 3H-uridine incorporation is brought about by α-amanitin during cleavage and early blastula stages, but at later stages such inhibition is less pronounced. These results imply that mRNAs synthesized at the blastula stage are essential for later stages of sea urchin development.