A factor necessary for normal morphogenetic function of anuran endoderm.

Cytoplasmic preparations obtained from late blastulae and early gastrulae of normal R. pipiens eggs contain factors which induce delayed lethal effects when injected into normal eggs at the beginning of cleavage. The same preparations can rescue some defective eggs which occur spontaneously (NS eggs), or are produced experimentally (ES eggs), by relieving the specific developmental syndrome displayed by either type of egg. The syndrome involves abnormal endoderm in which cytolysis is time-programmed. The lethal factors as well as the rescue factors are absent in the normal egg cytoplasm prior to the late blastula stage.