Title: The origin and differentiation of enteric neurons of the intestine of the fowl embryo
Abstract: Abstract Neuroblasts were identified histologically in the intestine of the fowl embryo of stages 25 to 35 (Hamburger and Hamilton, ′51). These cells occurred rostral to the umbilicus at stage 26, and appeared caudally in a wave that reached the coprodeum at stage 34. The presence of histologically unidentifiable neuronal precursors was studied by grafting onto the chorio‐allantoic membrane (CAM) short lengths of gut from embryos of stage 24 to 34. After growth in isolation on the CAM, the resultant gut grafts were examined histologically for enteric neurons. In these grafts, neuronal differentiation occurred in the gut as a wave moving caudally at about 40 ḿm/hr. This wave preceded by less than 12 hours the normal appearance of neuroblasts at any particular level of the intestine. The findings are discussed with regard to previous reports on the origin of enteric neurons. The most likely conclusion is that all enteric neurons in the fowl are derived from vagal neural crest. The results obtained with grafts containing neurons of Remak's nerve, in addition to intestine, suggest that lumbo‐sacral neural crest may give rise to some enteric supporting cells which, in the absence of normal enteric plexuses, differentiate as pigment cells. If lumbo‐sacral neural crest cells contribute to post‐umbilical enteric neurons, their differentiation requires the presence of vagal cells. A comparison of enteric neuronal density and distribution in short and long colo‐rectal grafts suggests that only the advancing front of the neuronal precursor wave is necessary to populate the remainder of the gut. This high proliferative potential in the wave‐front appears to decline on reaching the most caudal colo‐rectum and coprodeum.
Publication Year: 1980
Publication Date: 1980-02-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 142
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