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Ultrastructure of differentiating cells during thymus histogenesis

A light and electron microscopic study of epithelial and lymphoid cell differentiation during thymus histogenesis in C57 black mice

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Summary

Thymus development was studied from twelve days after fertilization to four days post-partum. At twelve days, the endodermal bud consists of primitive undifferentiated cells containing a paucity of organelles separated from branchial mesenchyme by a fine fibrillar interface. Multivacuolar structures in the extracellular spaces or just within cell borders may represent a pathway for transfer of humoral substances.

At thirteen days, outgrowing processes of anlage cells disrupt the epithelial cords and free adjoining cells. Some of these round up and differentiate to conform to criteria identifying them as lymphocyte precursors. Transitional forms with some lymphoid characteristics were noted.

At fifteen days trabeculae carrying invasive blood vessels lobulate a now recognizable thymus. Several species of epithelial cells become distinguishable in the last quarter of gestation. Dendrite-like processes of stromal cells are crowded with vacuolar and lamellar membranous elements, mitochondria, ribosomes and innumerable small vesicles. Increasingly, many columnar cells of the medulla demonstrate pleomorphic inclusions resembling lysosomes, lipid droplets and secretion products.

These studies suggest that earliest thymocytes may originate by transformation of anlage epithelium and that the ultrastructure of many epithelial cells and the presence of endothelial pores places the thymus among organs active in synthesizing and secretory processes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, USA

    Frances Thaw Sanel

  2. Ultrastructure Research Laboratory, Saint Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center, 505 Cronin Research Bldg. 153 West 11th Street, 10011, New York, N. Y., USA

    Frances Thaw Sanel

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  1. Frances Thaw Sanel
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This study was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants 5 ROI-HE-06465 and 5 TI-GM-256.

The author wishes to express her appreciation to Professor W. M. Copenhaver for his valuable criticisms and encouragement during the course of this study and for his careful review of the manuscript. Indebtedness to Professor G. D. Pappas is also gratefully acknowledged.

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Sanel, F.T. Ultrastructure of differentiating cells during thymus histogenesis. Z. Zellforsch. 83, 8–29 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334735

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334735

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