Initiation of quail and mouse mandibular chondrogenesis and osteogenesis in a serumless, chemically-defined medium.

To evaluate the requirement of vascular and/or neurotrophic-derived factors on determination and differentiation of chondrogenic and osteogenic phenotypes, early embryonic quail and mouse mandibular processes were cultured using a modified Trowell method in a serumless, chemically-defined medium for 10 days. Quail HH stage 22 and mouse Theiler stage 16 mandibular processes formed cartilage and produced osteoid under these experimental conditions. Chondrogenic and osteogenic phenotypes were expressed without serum or other exogenous growth-promoting influences.