Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 6, 2616-2624, Copyright © 1986 by Society for Neuroscience
Developmental potential of quail dorsal root ganglion cells analyzed in vitro and in vivo
H Rohrer, AL Acheson, J Thibault and H Thoenen
The cell types present in quail dorsal root ganglia during early
development were identified using markers for neurons, glial cells, and
fibroblasts (Rohrer et al., 1985). Using the quail-chick transplantation
technique, the potential of quail dorsal root ganglion cells to
differentiate to adrenergic chromaffin cells, as identified by tyrosine
hydroxylase immunostaining, was analyzed. A population of undifferentiated
cells, which is present in quail dorsal root ganglia at embryonic day 5,
was separated from neurons and glial cells. We show that this population
contains cells that differentiate to adrenergic chromaffin cells after
back-transplantation into 2-d-old chick embryos. A large proportion of
these undifferentiated cells also differentiates to neurons in vitro.
Precursors for adrenal chromaffin cells and for neurons are present in
dorsal root ganglia in significant numbers only during early development.