Differentiation of neural crest cells in the gut

Research Project

Project/Area Number	04670020
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	General anatomy (including Histology/Embryology)
Research Institution	Ehime University
Principal Investigator	TAKEUCHI Kyoko Ehime Univ.Sch.Med., Instructor, 医学部, 助手 (80116954)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	TAKASHIMA Yoichiro Ehime Univ.Sch.Med., Prof., 医学部, 教授 (30028344) KINUTANI Masae Ehime Univ.Sch.Med., Ass Prof., 医学部, 助教授 (60035491)
Project Period (FY)	1992 – 1994
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1994)
Budget Amount *help	¥2,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000) Fiscal Year 1994: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000) Fiscal Year 1993: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000) Fiscal Year 1992: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Keywords	Chick-quail chimaera / Gut / Neural crest cells / Vagal region / Enteric nervous system (ENS) / Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) / カハールの間質細胞 / 平滑筋細胞
Research Abstract	1.It has been shown that enteric ganglion cells arise from the vagal (somites 1-7) levels of the neural crest by the use of quail-chick chimaeras. In the 3-day-old chick embryo, quail crest cells can be first found in the proventricule and the gizzard. After caudally migration, the enteric neuroblasts appeared in the rectum at 7 day of incubation. Later, they were distributed in the presumptive Auerbach and Meissner plexus. 2.Segments of chick embryonic gut were stained for immunoreactivity to HNK-1, NF,S-100, smooth muscle actin and vimentin. Glial cells were observed in the Auerbach and Meissner plexuses at 14 day of incubation. In the 17-day-old chick embryo, the enteric nervous system was nearing completion. 3.The segmental graft of the neural tube show that the neural crest cells at the level of somites 3-5 in the vagal region were the main source to form the ENS of the entire gut. 4.Interstitial cells associated with the deep muscular plexus and the myenteric plexus of the chick small intestine were studies by staining with ZIO and electron microscopy. Three types of cells, Namely smooth muscle-like cells, interdigitated fibroblast-like cells with smooth muscle cells, fibroblast-like cells, connected with smooth muscle cells and nerve fibers. Further studies, using quail-chick chimaeras system are in progress to verify the origin and the development of the interstitial cells.