This series was established to create comprehensive treatises on specific topics in developmental biology. Such volumes serve a useful role in developmental biology, which is a very diverse field that receives contributions from a wide variety of disciplines. This series is a meeting ground for the various practi­ tioners of this science, facilitating an integration of heterogeneous information on specific topics. Each volume is comprised of chapters selected to provide the conceptual basis for a comprehensive understanding of its topic as well as an analysis of the key experiments upon which that understanding is based. The specialist in any aspect of developmental biology should understand the experimental back­ ground of the specialty and be able to place that body of information in context, in order to ascertain where additional research would be fruitful. The creative process then generates new experiments. This series is intended to be a vital link in that ongoing process of learning and discovery.

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I. Specification of Regional Patterns of Cell Fate in Animal Development.- 1 The Role of Cytoplasmic Determinants in Embryonic Development.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Evidence for the Existence of Cytoplasmic Determinants.- 3. Identity of Cytoplasmic Determinants.- 4. Localization and Segregation of Cytoplasmic Determinants.- 5. Mechanism of Cytoplasmic Determinant Localization.- 6. Mechanism of Cytoplasmic Determinant Action.- 7. Cytoplasmic Determinants Revisited.- References.- 2 Determination of Pattern and Fate in Early Embryos of Caenorhabditis eJegans.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Overview of Caenorhabditis eJegans Embryology.- 3. Description of Cellular Events.- 4. Determination of Cell Fates and Patterns in the Embryo.- 5. Mutations That Affect Embryogenesis.- 6. Possible Mechanisms of Determination.- References.- 3 Cellular Interactions in Establishment of Regional Patterns of Cell Fate during Development.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Normal Development of Xenopus laevis.- 3. Fate Maps, Specification, and Determination.- 4. Regional Molecular Markers.- 5. Origins of Polarity in the Fertilized Egg.- 6. Mesoderm Induction.- 7. Dorsalization.- 8. Neural Induction.- 9. Summary of Inductive Interactions in Early Amphibian Development.- 10. Molecular Mechanisms of Induction.- 11. Conclusions.- References.- 4 A New Look at Spemann's Organizer.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Experiment of Spemann and Hilde Mangold Reconsidered.- 3. Misinterpretations That Led to Misconceptions.- 4. Further Reexamination of Spemann's Concept of the Organizer.- 5. Questions of Priority.- 6. Other Investigations of the 1920s.- 7. Exogastrulation and Its Consequences.- 8. Head and Trunk-Tail Inductors.- 9. In Quest of the Nature of the Inducing Agents.- 10. Conclusions.- References.- 5 The Molecular Biology of Pattern Formation in the Early Embryonic Development of Drosophila.- 1. Central Problems of Early Development.- 2. Early Drosophila Development.- 3. Determination of Blastoderm Cell Fates.- 4. Molecular Components of the Cytoskeleton of the Early Embryo.- 5. Segmentation Genes.- 6. Homeotic Genes.- 7. Complex Patterns of Expression Require Complex Genes.- 8. Protein Products of the Homeotic and Segmentation Genes.- 9. Conclusions.- References.- II. Developmental Regulation of Gene Expression in Animals.- 6 Regulation of Actin Gene Expression during Sea Urchin Development.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Actin Synthesis during Embryogenesis.- 3. Actin mRNA Levels during Embryonic Development.- 4. The Sea Urchin Actin Genes Comprise a Small Gene Family.- 5. Distinct and Characteristic Patterns of Specific Actin Gene Expression in Embryos and Adult Tissues.- 6. Embryonic Expression of at Least Three Actin Genes Results from Transcriptional Activation.- 7. Cell Lineage-Specific Expression of Actin Genes.- 8. Summary.- References.- 7 Regulation of the Mid-Blastula Transition in Amphibians.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Development from Oogenesis through the Mid-Blastula Stage.- 3. General Events Associated with the Mid-Blastula Transition.- 4. Mechanisms for Regulation of the Mid-Blastula Transition.- 5. Summary.- References.- 8 Expression of Ribosomal Protein Genes during Xenopus Development.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Isolation and Structure of Xenopus Ribosomal Protein Genes.- 3. Ribosomal Protein Gene Expression during Oogenesis.- 4. Ribosomal Protein Gene Expression during Embryogenesis.- 5. Expression of Exogenous Ribosomal Protein Genes and mRNAs in Oocytes.- 6. Summary.- References.- 9 Regulation of Expression of Xenopus Vitellogenin Genes.- 1. Vitellogenesis.- 2. The Vitellogenin Multigene Family.- 3. Hormonal Regulation of Expression of Xenopus Vitellogenin Genes.- 4. The Role of Estrogen Receptor in Vitellogenin Gene Transcription.- 5. Switching on Silent Vitellogenin Genes in Vitro.- 6. General Conclusions.- References.- 10 Developmental Regulation of the rosy Locus in Drosophila melanogaster.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Phenotypes of rosy Mutants.- 3. The rosy Gene Product.- 4. rosy Gene Organization.- 5. Transcription of rosy.- 6. rosy Expression in Standard Strains.- 7. Regulation of rosy Expression.- 8. Denouement.- Appendix I.- Appendix II.- References.- 11 Transcriptional and Post-Transcriptional Strategies in Neuroendocrine Gene Expression.- 1. Regulation of Gene Expression at the Level of Alternative RNA Processing as a Mechanism for Generating Diversity.- 2. Calcitonin/CGRP Gene Expression: Developmentally Regulated Tissue-Specific Control of Alternative RNA-Processing Events.- 3. Developmental Regulation of Neuroendocrine Gene Expression Based on Heritable Patterns of Cell-Specific Gene Transcription.- References.- 12 Hypomethylation of DNA in the Regulation of Gene Expression.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Nonrandom Distribution of 5-Methylcytosine in Eukaryotic Genomes.- 3. Clonal Inheritance of Methylation Patterns.- 4. Evidence for Gene Regulation by DNA Methylation.- 5. 5-Azacytidine and Gene Expression.- 6. DNA Methylation and Cellular Differentiation.- 7. DNA Methylation and Cancer.- 8. Summary.- References.- III. The Molecular Biology of Plant Growth and Development.- 13 Molecular Biology of Plant Growth and Development: Arabidopsis thaliana as an Experimental System.- 1. Introduction.- 2. General Description.- 3. Classical Genetics.- 4. The Arabidopsis Genome.- 5. Molecular Genetics.- 6. The Future.- References.- 14 Regulation of Gene Expression during Seed Development in Flowering Plants.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Significance of the Seed.- 3. Fertilization: The Trigger of Seed Development.- 4. Development of Maternal Tissues.- 5. Endosperm.- 6. Embryo Development.- 7. Concluding Remarks.- References.- 15 Development and Differentiation of the Root Nodule: Involvement of Plant and Bacterial Genes.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Specificity of Infection.- 3. Induction of Host Cell Division.- 4. Intercellular and Intracellular Compartmentalization.- 5. Induction of Host Genes during Nodulation.- 6. Perspectives.- References.