On the differentiation and migration of some non-neuronal neural crest derived cell types

Neural tubes containing premigratory neural crest cells from head and trunk levels as well as somites containing neural crest cells that have migrated away from the neural crest were grafted orthotopically and heterotopically from quail embryos to chicken embryos. Schwann cells and melanocytes of donor origin developed after all grafting procedures. Cartilage developed only from neural crest cells of head levels. No skeletal muscle was ever observed to develop from the neural crest. The development of these different cell types from heterotopically grafted premigratory neural crest cells indicates that the neural crest is not a population of pluripotent undeterminated cells, but that at least some determinated cells are present within it before the onset of emigration of neural crest cells from the neural crest. Different neural-crest-derived cell populations exhibit different migratory behaviour: After heterotopically grafting quail neural crest cells to the wing buds of chicken embryos, Schwann cells and non-epidermal melanocytes were found to have migrated proximally and distally away from the grafts. Epidermal melanocytes of donor origin were found to have migrated in a distal direction essentially.