The control of directed myogenic cell migration in the avian limb bud

Interspecific grafting experiments between chick and quail embryos were carried out in order to investigate the mechanism controlling myogenic cell migration in the avian limb bud. In six series, various experimental set-ups were prepared involving different age combinations of donor and host. The migration of the myogenic cells contained in the quail donor could be traced due to the prominent perinucleolar heterochromatin of the quail nucleus. Irrespectively of the presence or absence of the apical ectodermal ridge (AER), myogenic cells were found to migrate distally when implanted at a more distal site or into a younger host. They were even found to migrate in the reverse direction when younger host tissue was located proximal to the graft. From these findings, we conclude that the state of differentiation ("juvenility") of the limb bud mesenchyme controls the directed migration of myogenic cells.