[An experimental in-vitro study of the effect of paraorbital mesenchyme with the Mi wh/Mi wh mutant genotype on the melanogenesis of the retinal pigment epithelium in mouse embryos].

The effects of paraorbital +/+ and Mi wh/Mi wh mesenchyme (PM) on melanogenesis of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of mouse embryos. The eye anlagen of 10-day-old +/+ and Mi wh/Mi wh mouse embryos were co-cultured in vitro during eight days. All eye anlagen of +/+ genotype without PM cocultured with anlagen of +/+ genotype with PM developed a pigmentation of RPE. However, the eye anlagen of +/+ genotype without PM and the eye anlagen of Mi wh/Mi wh genotype with PM when co-cultured did not develop pigmentation of RPE. These results indicate that mutant allele Mi wh of locus mi changes the properties of PM which in mutant embryos does not exert the normal melanogenesis-promoting effect in relation to RPE.