The ontogeny of the spinocerebellar projection in the chicken. A study using WGA-HRP as a tracer

This study investigates the ontogeny of the spinocerebellar projection and especially focuses on the relation between temporary longitudinal patterns in the cytoarchitecture of the developing cerebellum of the chicken and the emergence of longitudinal patterning in the spinocerebellar projection, WGA-HRP was injected into the spinal cord of chicken embryos at different stages of development. It was found that spinocerebellar fibers arrive in the cerebellar "anlage" before any longitudinal cytoarchitectonic pattern can be discerned. Thereafter the organization of the spinocerebellar projection seems to develop related to the two temporary cytoarchitectonic longitudinal patterns present in the chick cerebellum. In both stages the development of the spinocerebellar projection displays a rostro-caudal gradient.