Immunofluorescence study of fibronectin distribution in the developing chick embryo striated muscles

This paper reports immunofluorescence data concerning fibronectin distribution in chick embryo striated muscle buds, i.e. myotomes and heart bud, in stages following their differentiation. At earliest developmental stages (12-15 HH) no fibronectin could be observed between the still poorly differentiated myoblasts of myotomes and of the splanchnopleure. Fibronectin, however, was observed among differentiated myoblasts of the myocardial ventral portion. In myotomes at later stages (16-18 HH), a few thin strands of fibronectin were observed between the myotomal and dermatomal laminae; this pattern became more marked between stages 17 and 26 HH. It is concluded that during myogenesis, fibronectin is absent at the earliest differentiation stages. A faint fibronectin-containing matrix is detectable at later stages and becomes more evident only in mature muscle tissue. This pattern is consistent with a role of fibronectin in the process of tissue organization.