Effect of a notochordal implant on the early morphogenesis of the neural tube and neuroblasts: histometrical and histological results.

The role of the notochord on the early development of ventral horn neuroblasts was investigated in chick embryos by implanting an additional notochord fragment near the right side of the thoracic neural tube. When the implant was located directly lateral to the neural tube, an enlargement of the right half of the neural tube and of the area of neuroblasts occurred, and axons were found to pass through the outer membrane of the neural tube over a broad dorsoventral trajectory. When the notochord was located ventrolaterally a population of neuroblasts including their efferent axons was found at a more dorsal location. It is concluded that a notochordal implant is able to influence the differentiation of neuroblasts.