[Relationship between competence and protein synthesis in amphibian ectoderm].

Isolated Amphibian gastrula ectoderm was pretreated in different ways and induced with a mesodermal/neural (Series I) or a mesodermal/endodermal (Series II) fraction ("sandwich" method).In the controls (K) the inducer was implanted directly into early gastrula ectoderm. The explants of series K were cultured in vitro for 20 (Series I) or 24 hours, respectively (Series II), and then combinated with the inducer. In series Ak the explants were treated with an inhibitor of protein synthesis (2μg/ml Actidion = Cycloheximid) for 20 or 24 hours and then cultured with inducer for 12 days.Ectoderm, cultured for 24 hours in vitro (Series K) lost its ability to respond to inducing factor. There is no loss of competence when ectoderm is treated with actidion for the same time and then treated with inducer.