A study of the growth cones of developing embryonic sensory neurites

The scanning electron microscope was used to examine the growth cones of sensory neurites on the basal lamina of the trunk skin and on the myotomes in dissected embryos of the amphibian, Xenopus laevis. On the myotomes growth cones are large and flat with extensive lamellipodia and many filopodia. On the skin growth cones are smaller and have simpler processes particularly in more ventral positions. Where growth cones contact each other or other neurites they are very intimately apposed and show many indications of strong mutual adhesion. Fasciculation and separation of growing neurites is described and the conditions leading to fasciculation are considered. Measurements of growth cones on the myotomes and different dorsoventral regions of the skin are interpreted in terms of possible differences in the adhesiveness of these substrates. We conclude that many of our observations can be explained by differences in substrate adhesion to the growth cones but that the skin may have some special, unknown attraction for them.