Biomaterial Database

Tracing of cells of the avian thymus through embryonic life in interspecific chimeras. 1975

N M Le Douarin, and F V Jotereau

Differences in the structure of the interphase nucleus between two species of birds, the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) and the chick (Gallus gallus) has been used to distinguish cells from different origins in interspecies combinations. This biological cell marking technique was applied to thymus histogenesis. Using various combinations between components of quail and chick thymic rudiments, the respective contribution of endodermal epithelium, mesenchyme, and blood-borne extrinsic elements to the histogenesis of thymus was analyzed. It was demonstrated that the whole lymphoid population of the thymus is derived from immigrant blood-borne stem cells which are chemically attracted by the endoderm of the 3rd and 4th pharyngeal pouch. The latter is determined to differentiate into thymic epithelial reticulum as soon as the 15-somite stage, and is able to attract blood stem cells even when transplanted in an heterotopic position such as the ventral body wall of the embryo. It was shown that the thymic mesenchyme originates from the neural crest mesectoderm which colonizes early the 3rd and 4th branchial arches. It participates in the formation of perivascular mesenchyme, but does not give rise to lymphocytes. From heterospecific transplantations of quail thymuses into chick embryo (and inversely) at various stages of development is appeared that the thymic rudiment becomes attractive for lymphoid stem cells at a precise stage of its evolution for each species. The attractivity period lasts about 24 h for the quail and 36 h for the chick. Then, the inflow of stem cells becomes very low until the end of the incubation period. At this time, a second wave of lymphocytoblasts invades the thymus and the primitive embryonic lymphoid population is completely renewed around the hatching time. Competent thymic stem cells are present in the blood before and after the period of physiological thymic attractivity. The identity of basophilic cells appearing in the thymus during its histogenesis and lymphoid stem cells has been demonstrated from the analysis of quail-chick chimeric thymuses.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008648	Mesoderm	The middle germ layer of an embryo derived from three paired mesenchymal aggregates along the neural tube.	Mesenchyme,Dorsal Mesoderm,Intermediate Mesoderm,Lateral Plate Mesoderm,Mesenchyma,Paraxial Mesoderm,Dorsal Mesoderms,Intermediate Mesoderms,Lateral Plate Mesoderms,Mesenchymas,Mesoderm, Dorsal,Mesoderm, Intermediate,Mesoderm, Lateral Plate,Mesoderm, Paraxial,Mesoderms, Dorsal,Mesoderms, Intermediate,Mesoderms, Lateral Plate,Mesoderms, Paraxial,Paraxial Mesoderms,Plate Mesoderm, Lateral,Plate Mesoderms, Lateral
D011784	Quail	Common name for two distinct groups of BIRDS in the order GALLIFORMES: the New World or American quails of the family Odontophoridae and the Old World quails in the genus COTURNIX, family Phasianidae.	Quails
D002454	Cell Differentiation	Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function that leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs.	Differentiation, Cell,Cell Differentiations,Differentiations, Cell
D002642	Chick Embryo	The developmental entity of a fertilized chicken egg (ZYGOTE). The developmental process begins about 24 h before the egg is laid at the BLASTODISC, a small whitish spot on the surface of the EGG YOLK. After 21 days of incubation, the embryo is fully developed before hatching.	Embryo, Chick,Chick Embryos,Embryos, Chick
D002678	Chimera	An individual that contains cell populations derived from different zygotes.	Hybrids,Chimeras,Hybrid
D003370	Coturnix	A genus of BIRDS in the family Phasianidae, order GALLIFORMES, containing the common European and other Old World QUAIL.	Japanese Quail,Coturnix japonica,Japanese Quails,Quail, Japanese,Quails, Japanese
D004624	Embryo Transfer	The transfer of mammalian embryos from an in vivo or in vitro environment to a suitable host to improve pregnancy or gestational outcome in human or animal. In human fertility treatment programs, preimplantation embryos ranging from the 4-cell stage to the blastocyst stage are transferred to the uterine cavity between 3-5 days after FERTILIZATION IN VITRO.	Blastocyst Transfer,Tubal Embryo Transfer,Tubal Embryo Stage Transfer,Embryo Transfers,Transfer, Embryo,Transfers, Embryo
D004707	Endoderm	The inner of the three germ layers of an embryo.	Definitive Endoderm,Definitive Endoderms,Endoderm, Definitive,Endoderms
D006412	Hematopoietic Stem Cells	Progenitor cells from which all blood cells derived. They are found primarily in the bone marrow and also in small numbers in the peripheral blood.	Colony-Forming Units, Hematopoietic,Progenitor Cells, Hematopoietic,Stem Cells, Hematopoietic,Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells,Cell, Hematopoietic Progenitor,Cell, Hematopoietic Stem,Cells, Hematopoietic Progenitor,Cells, Hematopoietic Stem,Colony Forming Units, Hematopoietic,Colony-Forming Unit, Hematopoietic,Hematopoietic Colony-Forming Unit,Hematopoietic Colony-Forming Units,Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell,Hematopoietic Stem Cell,Progenitor Cell, Hematopoietic,Stem Cell, Hematopoietic,Unit, Hematopoietic Colony-Forming,Units, Hematopoietic Colony-Forming
D006570	Heterochromatin	The portion of chromosome material that remains condensed and is transcriptionally inactive during INTERPHASE.	Heterochromatins