The development of the oculomotor nuclear complex in the Japanese quail embryo

Abstract

The development of the oculomotor nuclear complex was studied in the Japanese quail. In hatchlings, this complex was found to consist of four subnuclei: The accessory, the dorsolateral, the dorsomedial, and the ventromedial. An arciform subnucleus or central subnucleus was not found in this species. All subnuclei were made up of homogeneous cell populations. The oculomotor primordia can first be recognized at day 3 of incubation, and a clear subdivision within this primordia is apparent on day 5 (total incubation period = 17 days). At this time the accessory subnucleus can be discerned. By day 6, a horizontally oriented dorsal cell mass, the anlagen of the dorsolateral and dorsomedial subnuclei, is seen, as is a vertically oriented ventral cell mass, the anlagen of the ventromedial subnucleus. The boundaries between the subnuclei are not yet distinct at this age, however. By day 7 of incubation, all four subnuclei can be detected as separate entities. Migrating cells, apparently moving primarily between the ventromedial subnuclei, are first seen on day 5, at which time the oculomotor commissure begins to appear. Migratory traffic is extensive during days the 6 and 7 of incubation, with wide bands of migrating cells typically seen, spanning the entire dorsal‐ventral extent of the oculomotor complex. These cells do not appear to be associated exclusively with the ventromedial subnuclei. In many instances, migratory cells appear to be affiliated with the dorsomedial cell group. By day 10 of incubation, migration has ceased and the oculomotor complex has attained its definitive configuration. These observations are discussed with comparative reference to earlier studies of chick and duck embryos and hatchlings.