Summary
Pulse labelling with tritiated thymidine was used to determine the time of the final division of the neuroblasts which subsequently form rat lumbar dorsal root ganglion neurones. The final division occurred during a 4 day period, the maximum frequency being on day 12 of gestation. Separation of the ganglion cells into large light neurones and small dark neurones showed that the large light neurones were formed earlier than the small dark neurones. In both cases the final divisions occurred over a period of 3–4 days, but the peak rate of formation of large neurones was on day 12, and that of the small neurones was on day 13.
Low power electron micrographs were used to measure mean cell diameter throughout development from day 11 of gestation until a postnatal age of 225 days. A marked increase in cell diameter occurred on day 15–15.5, about 3 days after the final cell divisions of the majority of the cells. The rate of growth increased just before birth, but no increase in mean cell diameter was found between day 21 of gestation and the third day postnatal. The growth was again rapid after this period until a plateau in cell diameter was reached about 33 days after birth.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Angevine, J. B.: Time of neuron origin in the hippocampal region. An autoradiographic study in the mouse. Exp. Neurol., Suppl. 2, 1–70 (1965)
Angevine, J. B.: Time of neuron origin in the diencephalon of the mouse. An autoradiographic study. J. comp. Neurol. 139, 129–188 (1970)
Angulo, A. W.: A comparison of the growth and differentiation of the trigeminal ganglia with the cervical spinal ganglia in albino rat embryos. J. comp. Neurol. 95, 53–71 (1951)
Bacsich, P., Wyburn, G. M.: Formalin-sensitive cells in spinal ganglia. Quart. J. micr. Sci. 94, 89–92 (1953)
England, J. M., Rogers, A. W., Miller, R. G.: The identification of labelled structures on autoradiographs. Nature (Lond.) 242, 76 (1973)
Haas, R. J., Werner, J., Fliedner, T. M.: Cytokinetics of neonatal brain cell development in rats as studied by the complete 3H Thymidine labelling method. J. Anat. (Lond.) 107, 421–437 (1970)
Hatai, S.: Number and size of the spinal ganglion cells and dorsal root fibres in the white rat at different ages. J. comp. Neurol. 12, 107–124 (1902)
Hess, A.: The fine structure of young and old dorsal root ganglia. Anat. Rec. 128, 399–424 (1955)
Kalina, M., Wolman, M.: Correlative histochemical and morphological study on the maturation of sensory ganglion cells in the rat. Histochemie 22, 100–108 (1970)
Miale, I., Sidman, R. L.: An autoradiographic analysis of histogenesis in the mouse cerebellum. Exp. Neurol. 4, 277–296 (1961)
Narayanan, C. H., Fox, M. W., Hamburger, V.: Prenatal development of spontaneous and evoked activity in the rat (Rattus norwegicus albinus). Behaviour 39–40, 100–134 (1971)
Pannese, E., Bianchi, R., Calligaris, B., Ventura, R., Weibel, E. R.: Quantitative relationships between nerve and satellite cells in spinal ganglia. An electron microscopical study. 1. Mammals. Brain Res. 46, 215–234 (1972)
Parfianowicz, J., Hawrylko, S., Pietrzak, J., Kmieć, B.: Morphology and cytochemistry of the nerve-cells of the spinal ganglia. Folia morph. (Warszawa) (English Translation) 30, 423–431 (1971)
Pelc, S. R.: Incorporation of labelled precursors of DNA in nondividing cells. In: Cell proliferation, eds. Lamerton, L. F. & Fry, R.J.M. Philadelphia: Davis Co. 1963
Pierce, E. T., Sweet, E.: Histogenesis of deep cerebellar nuclei studied autoradiographically with thymidine -H3 in the mouse. Anat. Rec. 157, 301 (1967)
Preto Parvis, V.: Distribution of two types of nerve cells with different evolution characteristic in the spinal ganglia of the cat. Monit. zool. ital. 63, Suppl. 352–354 (1954)
Rakic, P.: Kinetics of proliferation and latency between final cell division and onset of differentiation of cerebellar stellate and basket neurons. J. compl. Neurol. 147, 523–546 (1973)
Rakic, P., Sidman, R. L.: Subcommissural organ and adjacent ependyma: autoradiographic study of their origin in the mouse brain. Amer. J. Anat. 122, 317–336 (1968)
Rasmussen, R. B., Painter, R. B.: Radiation-stimulated DNA synthesis in cultured mammalian cells. J. Cell Biol. 29, 11–19 (1966)
Rogers, A. W.: Techniques of autoradiography, 2nd Edn. London: Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co. 1973
Rogers, L. A., Cowan, W. M.: The development of the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve in the chick. J. comp. Neurol. 147, 291–314 (1973)
Sarrat, R.: Zur Chemodifferenzierung des Rückenmarks und der Spinalganglien der Ratte. Histochemie 24, 202–213 (1970)
Sidman, R. L.: Autoradiographic methods and principles for study of the nervous system with thymidine -H3. In: Contemporary research methods in neuroanatomy, p. 252–274, eds. Nauta, W.J.H., Ebbesson, S.O.E. New York: Springer 1970
Smart, I., Leblond, C. P.: Evidence for division and transformations of neuroglia cells in the mouse brain, as derived from radioautography after injection of thymidine -H3. J. comp. Neurol. 116, 349–367 (1961)
Sobkowicz, H. M., Hartmann, H. A., Monzain, R., Desnoyers, R.: Growth differentiation and ribonucleic acid content of the foetal rat spinal ganglion cells in culture. J. comp. Neurol. 148, 249–283 (1973)
Tennyson, V. M.: Electron microscopic study of the developing neuroblast of the dorsal root ganglion of the rabbit embryo. J. comp. Neurol. 124, 267–318 (1965)
Vaughn, J. E., Grieshaber, J. A.: A morphological investigation of an early reflex pathway in developing rat spinal cord. J. comp. Neurol. 148, 177–210 (1973)
Windle, W. F., Baxter, R. E.: Development of reflex mechanisms in the spinal cord of albino rat embryos. Correlation between structure and function, and comparisons with the cat and the chick. J. comp. Neurol. 63, 189–210 (1936)
Yamadori, T.: A light and electron microscopic study on the postnatal development of spinal ganglia. Acta. anat. Nippon. 45, 191–205 (1970)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
We are grateful to Miss E. Thornton for technical assistance and to the Wellcome Trust for a grant for the electron microscope.
Supported by a grant from the Wellcome Trust.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lawson, S.N., Caddy, K.W.T. & Biscoe, T.J. Development of rat dorsal root ganglion neurones. Cell Tissue Res. 153, 399–413 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00229167
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00229167