Developmental delay in islet-1-positive motor neurons in chick spina bifida.
Spina bifida aperta (SBA) is a congenital malformation of the spinal cord with complications such as spinal ataxia and bowel and bladder dysfunction. We have developed a chick model with surgery-induced SBA that shows spinal ataxia after hatching. In the present study, motor neurons in the early stages in chicks with and without SBA were observed by immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody against Islet-1, a motor neuron marker. Delay in migration and maturation of motor neurons was observed in SBA. Although the final numbers of Islet-1-positive neurons in these two groups were not different, a defect in the production and elimination of excess motor neurons in the early developmental stages in the SBA group may be involved in the pathological mechanism of the motor complications of this disease.
Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.
Min
M
Wang
Katsumi
K
Mominoki
Masae
M
Kinutani
Zhong
Z
Wang
Naoto
N
Kobayashi
Tetsuya
T
Shimokawa
Hiroaki
H
Nabeka
Takashi
T
Fujiwara
Seiji
S
Matsuda
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016137:Spina Bifida Cystica / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology*; D014157:Transcription Factors
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D060850:LIM-Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C063843:insulin gene enhancer binding protein Isl-1