Electron microscope study on the contact of neural crest cells in the early stage of migration in bantam embryos

The early stage of migration of neural crest cells was observed in the mid-brain level of bantam embryos (5-somite stage to 15-somite stage) by transmission) electron microscopy. It was confirmed that the migration of the neural crest cells starts at the stage of 7-8 somites and ends at the stage of about 14 somites. During this period, not only the contact of migrating crest cells with each other but also the contact between migrating cells and superficial ectodermal cells and/or neural tube cells was observed. Intercellular distance in those contact regions was 3-4 nm. The contact between the migrating crest cell and the basement membrane of the neural tube cell and of the ectodermal cell as well as the contact between the neural crest cell and the fibrillar structure in the environment was also seen. These findings suggest the possibility of transitory interaction for migration between neural crest cells with each other, between neural crest cells and cellular components of the environment where these crest cells migrate, and between neural crest cells and extracellular structures in the environment.