Formation and Plasticity of Neuromuscular Junction in Tissue Culture

Abstract

Neuromuscular transmission was investigated in combined culture of skeletal muscle cells and nervous tissue obtained from the chick embryo. Spontaneous endplate potentials (EPP's) recorded from the muscle cells were considered to indicate formation of the junction. The EPP's were observed in some muscle cells after several hours of culture with nervous tissue. In several cases the first EPP's appeared 15-30 min after a nerve process had reached the muscle. Polyneuronal innervation of single muscle cell was usual in the older culture. Not only the spinal cord but also the ciliary ganglion and the medulla oblongata formed the neuromuscular junction. On the other hand no junction was found in culture of the cerebellum, cerebrum, dorsal root ganglion and sympathetic ganglion.
These observations were discussed in connection with development of the nervous system in the body.