Development of macroglial cells in the embryonic chick optic nerve

Macroglia development in the embryonic chick optic nerve was immunohistochemically examined. The astrocytes with glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity were initially restricted to the retinal end of the optic nerve at stage 40, but had widely dispersed within the optic nerve in an out-side-in manner by stage 44. Oligodendrocytes with myelin basic protein immunoreactivity appeared at stage 38, and were widely distributed at stage 40. Electron microscopic observation confirmed the presence of intermediate filaments in the glial fibers and developing myelin at stages 40-41. The present results suggest that oligodendrocyte precursors undergo terminal differentiation slightly earlier than astrocyte precursors with respect to the expression of marker proteins.