Quail Rathke's pouch differentiation an electron microscopic study

Adenohypophyseal region of quail embryo has been examined by electron microscopy from stage 12 to stage 21 of Zacchei (1961). The Seessel's pouch develops prior to the early stages of adenohypophysis formation, then regresses while Rathke's pouch proliferates and differentiates. From Rathke's pouch formation by stage 12 (48 h of incubation) until appearance of the first secretory granules by stage 21 (6 days of incubation), there are no major ultrastructural modifications in adenohypophyseal cells. Mitochondria, Golgi vesicles, polysomic ribosomes, pinocytotic vesicles, and mitotic figures become more numerous while nucleocytoplasmic ratio and the number of ribosomes and lipid droplets decreases. The major change is the appearance of secretory granules by day 6 of incubation. This phenomenon occurs at the same time as in chick embryo, despite an incubation period shorter for quail than for chick. Mitotic figures are mainly distributed near the pouch lumen, while secretory granules are first located in the peripheral cells of the cephalic part of pars distalis primordium. The hypothetical role of mesenchyme and vascularization is discussed.