Summary
Dissociation and reaggregation cultures from different portions of the chick embryo neural tube were made, and the resulting aggregates were fixed for electron microscopy after 1, 5, 8, 14, 16 and 22 days in vitro. All cultures (pure aggregates of telencephalon, optic lobe or neural retina, and combined aggregates made from mixtures of optic lobe plus neural retina or optic lobe plus telencephalon) show a common timing of neuronal and glial morphological differentiation.
During the first week in vitro, some cells developed neuronal characteristics in the absence of morphological evidence of glial differentiation. Numerous axonic processes usually formed fascicles with all the fibers running parallel to each other. Axonic growth cones were abundant and a few immature synapses were also present. The second week in culture was characterized by the disappearance of growth cones and the increase in number and morphological maturation of synapses. Morphologically detectable glial differentiation began by the end of this week, and during the third week almost every neuronal element, including the axonic fascicles, became associated with glial cells showing astrocytic features.
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The authors are indebted to Mrs. N.A. de Pinto for her competent technical assistance
A.M.S. and R.A. are members of the Carrera del Investigador del Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientifícas y Técnicas de la República Argentina
This work was supported by a grant from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República Argentina, and by NIH grant 5 ROI NS 06953-09 NEUA to Prof. Dr. E. De Robertis
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Suburo, A.M., Adler, R. Neuronal and glial differentiation in reaggregation cultures. Cell Tissue Res. 176, 407–416 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221797
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221797