Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1977 Jul;74(7):2899–2903. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.7.2899

Independent expression of the adrenergic phenotype by neural crest cells in vitro.

A M Cohen
PMCID: PMC431338  PMID: 268641

Abstract

Neural crest cells obtained from Japanese quail and grown in vitro without other embryonic tissues differentiate into adrenergic cells. These cells show intense catecholamine-specific histochemical fluorescence, and some have long, varicose neuronal processes. Ultrastructural examination shows two populations of cells, one with small (about 90 nm) dense-core vesicles resembling principal sympathetic neurons and the other with larger (about 150 nm) dense-core granules resembling chromaffin or small intensely fluorescent cells. Neuronal cells without adrenergic characteristics are also present. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that a population of cells determined along neuronal lines exists in the neural crest prior to migration.

Full text

PDF
2899

Images in this article

2900Image
on p.2900
2902Image
on p.2902

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Benitez H. H., Masurovsky E. B., Murray M. R. Interneurons of the sympathetic ganglia, in organotypic culture. A suggestion as to their function, based on three types of study. J Neurocytol. 1974 Aug;3(3):363–384. doi: 10.1007/BF01097919. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bird M. M., James D. W. The culture of previously dissociated embryonic chick spinal cord cells on feeder layers of liver and kidney, and the development of paraformaldehyde induced fluorescence upon the former. J Neurocytol. 1975 Dec;4(6):633–646. doi: 10.1007/BF01181626. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bjerre B. The production of catecholamine-containing cells in vitro by young chick embryos studies by the histochemical fluorescence method. J Anat. 1973 May;115(Pt 1):119–131. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Black I. B., Geen S. C. Inhibition of the biochemical and morphological maturation of adrenergic neurons by nicotinic receptor blockade. J Neurochem. 1974 Feb;22(2):301–306. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1974.tb11594.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Black I. B., Hendry I. A., Iversen L. L. Trans-synaptic regulation of growth and development of adrenergic neurones in a mouse sympathetic ganglion. Brain Res. 1971 Nov;34(2):229–240. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(71)90278-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chamley J. H., Mark G. E., Campbell G. R., Burnstock G. Sympathetic ganglia in culture. I. Neurons. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat. 1972;135(3):287–314. doi: 10.1007/BF00307178. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cohen A. M. Factors directing the expression of sympathetic nerve traits in cells of neural crest origin. J Exp Zool. 1972 Feb;179(2):167–182. doi: 10.1002/jez.1401790204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cohen A. M., Hay E. D. Secretion of collagen by embryonic neuroepithelium at the time of spinal cord--somite interaction. Dev Biol. 1971 Dec;26(4):578–605. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(71)90142-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Cohen A. M., Konigsberg I. R. A clonal approach to the problem of neural crest determination. Dev Biol. 1975 Oct;46(2):262–280. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(75)90104-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Eränkö L. Ultrastructure of the developing sympathetic nerve cell and the storage of catecholamines. Brain Res. 1972 Nov 13;46:159–175. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(72)90013-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Eränkö O., Eränkö L., Hill C. E., Burnstock G. Hydrocortisone-induced increase in the number of small intensely fluorescent cells and their histochemically demonstrable catecholamine content in cultures of sympathetic ganglia of the newborn rat. Histochem J. 1972 Jan;4(1):49–58. doi: 10.1007/BF01005268. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fairman K., Giacobini E., Chiappinelli V. Developmental variations of tyrosine hydroxylase and acetylcholinesterase in embryonic and post-hatching chicken sympathetic ganglia. Brain Res. 1976 Feb 6;102(2):301–312. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(76)90884-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Furshpan E. J., MacLeish P. R., O'Lague P. H., Potter D. D. Chemical transmission between rat sympathetic neurons and cardiac myocytes developing in microcultures: evidence for cholinergic, adrenergic, and dual-function neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Nov;73(11):4225–4229. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.11.4225. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hervonen H. Differentiation of sympathicoblasts in cultures of chick ganglia: light and electron microscopic, fluorescence and enzyme histochemical observations. Anat Embryol (Berl) 1975 May 16;146(3):225–243. doi: 10.1007/BF00302172. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Johnson M., Ross D., Meyers M., Rees R., Bunge R., Wakshull E., Burton H. Synaptic vesicle cytochemistry changes when cultured sympathetic neurones develop cholinergic interactions. Nature. 1976 Jul 22;262(5566):308–310. doi: 10.1038/262308a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kim S. U., Munkacsi I. Morphological and cytochemical characteristics of neurons in cultures of mouse sympathetic ganglia. Exp Neurol. 1974 Oct;45(1):94–103. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(74)90103-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Landis S. C. Rat sympathetic neurons and cardiac myocytes developing in microcultures: correlation of the fine structure of endings with neurotransmitter function in single neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Nov;73(11):4220–4224. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.11.4220. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Le Douarin N. M., Teillet M. A. Experimental analysis of the migration and differentiation of neuroblasts of the autonomic nervous system and of neurectodermal mesenchymal derivatives, using a biological cell marking technique. Dev Biol. 1974 Nov;41(1):162–184. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(74)90291-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Lipton B. H., Konigsberg I. R. A fine-structural analysis of the fusion of myogenic cells. J Cell Biol. 1972 May;53(2):348–364. doi: 10.1083/jcb.53.2.348. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Matthews M. R., Raisman G. The ultrastructure and somatic efferent synapses of small granule-containing cells in the superior cervical ganglion. J Anat. 1969 Sep;105(Pt 2):255–282. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Maxwell G. D. Cell cycle changes during neural crest cell differentiation in vitro. Dev Biol. 1976 Mar;49(1):66–79. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(76)90258-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. McCarthy K. D., Partlow L. M. Preparation of pure neuronal and non-neuronal cultures from embryonic chick sympathetic ganglia: a new method based on both differential cell adhesiveness and the formation of homotypic neuronal aggregates. Brain Res. 1976 Sep 24;114(3):391–414. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(76)90962-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Noden D. M. An analysis of migratory behavior of avian cephalic neural crest cells. Dev Biol. 1975 Jan;42(1):106–130. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(75)90318-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Norr S. C. In vitro analysis of sympathetic neuron differentiation from chick neural crest cells. Dev Biol. 1973 Sep;34(1):16–38. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(73)90336-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Patterson P. H., Chun L. L. The influence of non-neuronal cells on catecholamine and acetylcholine synthesis and accumulation in cultures of dissociated sympathetic neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Sep;71(9):3607–3610. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.9.3607. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Rees R. P., Bunge M. B., Bunge R. P. Morphological changes in the neuritic growth cone and target neuron during synaptic junction development in culture. J Cell Biol. 1976 Feb;68(2):240–263. doi: 10.1083/jcb.68.2.240. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Teichberg S., Holtzman E. Axonal agranular reticulum and synaptic vesicles in cultured embryonic chick sympathetic neurons. J Cell Biol. 1973 Apr;57(1):88–108. doi: 10.1083/jcb.57.1.88. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Thoenen H. Comparison between the effect of neuronal activity and nerve growth factor on the enzymes involved in the synthesis of norepinephrine. Pharmacol Rev. 1972 Jun;24(2):255–267. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Unsicker K. Chromaffin, small granule-containing and ganglion cells in the adrenal gland of reptiles: A comparative ultrastructural study. Cell Tissue Res. 1976 Jan 28;165(4):477–508. doi: 10.1007/BF00224477. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Wechsler W., Schmekel L. Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchung der Entwicklung der vegetativen (Grenzstrang-) und spinalen Ganglien bei Gallus domesticus. Acta Neuroveg (Wien) 1967;30(1):427–444. doi: 10.1007/BF01239924. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Wurtman R. J., Axelrod J. Control of enzymatic synthesis of adrenaline in the adrenal medulla by adrenal cortical steroids. J Biol Chem. 1966 May 25;241(10):2301–2305. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES