Terminal sprouting of motoneurones is a local response to a local stimulus.
Terminal sprouting was visualized in silver stained whole mounts of rat sternocostal muscles after resecting one segmental nerve. Sprouts were only found near denervated muscle fibres. The effective diffusion range of the sprout inducing factor released by denervated fibres was 50--100 micrometers. Individual terminals of the same motoneurone sprout independently of each other and only when they intercept the sprout inducing factor.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D009045:Motor Endplate / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009121:Muscle Denervation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013900:Thoracic Nerves / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors