Histological and ultrastructural studies on the origin of caudal neural crest cells in mouse embryos

The origin of neural crest cells was studied histologically and ultrastructurally in caudal regions of mouse embryos at 8.5-11 days of gestation (day of vaginal plug = day 0). The neural tube of caudal regions develops in two different phases, called primary and secondary neurulation. The primary (more cranial) portion of the neural tube originates from the ectodermal neural plate, whereas the secondary (most caudal) portion originates from the tail bud. We asked in this study: Do neural crest cells of caudal regions originate exclusively from the developing primary portion of the neural tube and, subsequently, migrate into areas undergoing secondary neurulation; or do some of these cells originate from the tail bud, with the secondary portion of the neural tube, forming in situ in caudal areas? Most embryos were preserved with fixative containing cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) to facilitate the identification of neural crest cells, which stain darkly after exposure to CPC during fixation. Our results suggest that there are two sources of neural crest cells in caudal regions: the neuroectoderm of the neural folds flanking the closing posterior neuropore, and the tail bud. Neural crest cells derived from the neuroectoderm are designated as the primary neural crest, because they form in conjunction with the primary portion of the neural tube during primary neurulation, whereas neural crest cells derived from the tail bud are designated as the secondary neural crest, because they form in conjunction with the secondary portion of the neural tube during secondary neurulation.