Raphe of the posterior neural tube in the chick embryo: its closure and reopening as studied in living embryos with a high definition light microscope.

Chick embryos cultured on a curved substratum show a transient enlargement of the posterior neuropore (PN), mimicking the temporary delay of PN closure as seen in the curly tail (ct) mouse mutant (van Straaten et al. [1993] Development 117:1163-1172). In the present study the PN enlargement in the chick embryo was investigated further with a high definition light microscope (HDmic), allowing high resolution viewing of living embryos in vitro. The temporary PN enlargement appeared due to considerable reopening of the raphe of the posterior neural tube, which was followed by reclosure after several hours. The raphe was subsequently studied in detail. It appeared very irregular, with small zones of apposed, open and fused neural folds. During closure, these raphe features shifted posteriorly. A distinct fusion sequence between surface epithelium and neuroepithelium was not seen. During experimental reopening of the raphe in vitro, small bridges temporarily arose, broke and disappeared quickly; they likely represented the first adhesion sites between the neural folds. More prominent adhesion sites partly detached, resulting in bridging filopodia-like connections; they probably represented the first anteroposterior locations of neural fold fusion. Our observations in the living chick embryo in vitro thus show that the caudal neural tube has an irregular raphe with few adhesion sites, which can be readily reopened. As a result of the irregularity, the PN does not close zipper-like, but button-like by forming multiple closure sites.