Development of the iris in the chicken embryo. II. Differentiation of the irideal muscles in vitro

The developmental capabilities of the iris rudiment in the chicken embryo, as well as the role of tissue interactions in the differentiation of the iris, were investigated in vitro. Sectors of the intact iris from 7 1/2- through 9-day embryos (stages 32 through 35) lost their morphological organization in vitro, but were capable of normal histodifferentiation. The pigmentation of the epithelium increased, and muscle differentiation occurred. Developing muscle was identified using immunocytochemistry with antiserum against chicken muscle myosin; this procedure permitted positive identification of myoblasts, myotubes, and muscle fibres in cultures in which histological features alone were equivocal. The proportion of irideal explants which developed muscle increased with the age of the embryo, and correlated with the incidence of epithelial buds and epithelial cells in the stroma. Irideal mesenchyme from stage-32 through stage-35 embryos was already populated with stromal epithelial cells when isolated, but growth and muscle differentiation in these cultures compared poorly with that in the intact iris in vitro. Isolated irideal epithelium (stages 32 through 37) demonstrated even more limited muscle differentiation in vitro, suggesting reciprocal interaction between irideal epithelium and mesenchyme during development. Irideal epithelium was also cultured in direct association with non-irideal mesenchyme from various embryonic organ rudiments, but muscle differentiation was not enhanced.