Summary
Thyroid glands of 7 to 21 day-old chick embryos were examined by electron microscopy using freeze-fracture and thin-section preparations. The primitive follicle lumen first appears between two adjacent epithelial cells in 8 day-old embryos, and is formed in the region of a focal tight junction (macula occludens). The focal tight junction develops into the zonula occludens when the primitive follicle lumen first forms.
The zonula occludens is, at first, composed of 4.6 ± 2.45 strands, but with increasing embryonic age the number of strands increases to 5.9 ± 1.41 in 13 day-old, and 8.0 ± 1.75 in 19 day-old embryos.
Thyroglobulin stored within the embryonic gland lumina is isolated from the mesenchymal tissue even at the first appearance of these follicle cavities.
Well developed gap junctions already occur in the thyroid gland of the 7 day-old embryo, so that an intimate relationship and communication between these cells already exists at the time of their functional differentiation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Calvert, R., Pusteria, A.: Formation of thyroid follicular lumina in rat embryos studied with serial fine sections. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 20, 584–597 (1973)
Claude, P., Goodenough, D.A.: Fracture faces of zonula occludentes from “tight” and “leaky” epithelia. J. Cell Biol. 58, 390–400 (1973)
Decker, R.S., Friend, D.S.: Assembly of gap junctions during amphibian neurulation. J. Cell Biol. 62, 32–47 (1974)
Dermietzel, R., Meller, K., Tetzlaff, W., Waelsch, M.: In vivo and in vitro formation of the junctional complex in choroid epithelium. A freeze-etching study. Cell Tissue Res. 181, 427–441 (1977)
Fujita, H., Honma, Y.: Ontogenetic and phylogenetic aspects of the fine structure of the thyroid gland. Gunma Symp. Endocrinol. [Proc.] 3, 121–133 (1965)
Fujita, H., Machino, M.: On the follicle formation of the thyroid gland in the chick embryo. Exp. Cell Res. 25, 204–207 (1961)
Fujita, H., Tanizawa, Y.: Electron microscopic studies on the development of the thyroid gland of chick embryo. Z. Anat. Entwicklungsgesch 125, 132–151 (1966)
Hilfer, S.R.: Follicle formation in the embryonic chick thyroid. I. Early morphogenesis. J. Morphol. 115, 135–151 (1964)
Ishikawa, K.: Electron microscopic studies of the thyroid gland of the rat in embryonic life. Okajimas. Folia. Anat. Jpn. 41, 295–311 (1965)
Maat, G.J.R.: Late differentiation of the thyroid gland of the rat embryo. A morphological and histochemical study. University of Leiden: Thesis 1974
Montesano, R., Friend, D.S., Perrelet, A., Orci, L.: In vivo assembly of tight junctions in fetal rat liver. J. Cell Biol. 67, 310–319 (1975)
Okamoto, H., Ishimura, K.: Freeze-etching images on the development of intercellular junctions of the duodenal epithelial cells in the chick embryo. Arch. Histol. Jpn. (in the press)
Stoll, R., Blanquet, P., Lachapele, A.P., Malaud, R., Magimel, A.: Electron microscopy of chick embryo thyroid. First Eur. Reg. Conf. Electron Microscope. 173–176 (1956)
Tice, L.W., Carter, R.L., Cahill, M.C.: Tracer and freeze-fracture observations on development tight junctions in fetal rat thyroid. Tissue Cell 9, 395–417 (1977)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported by a grant from the Japan Ministry of Education
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ishimura, K., Fujita, H. Development of cell-to-cell relationships in the thyroid gland of the chick embryo. Cell Tissue Res. 198, 15–25 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234830
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234830