Axon number in oculomotor nerves in Xenopus: removal of one eye primordium affects both sides.
Unilateral removal of one eye primordium from Xenopus laevis embryos affects the number of axons in both oculomotor nerves: on the side of the operation, we observed a substantial decrease, and on the contralateral side an increase of over 30%. Mechanisms that may be invoked to explain this striking increase are: sprouting, rerouting of axons, decreased death of the motoneurones involved, and abnormal survival of ephemeral axon collaterals.
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005123:Eye / Q000196:embryology*; D009802:Oculomotor Nerve / Q000196:embryology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology*