Neurotrophic dependence of the lateral-line sensory organs of the newt,Triturus viridescens

✍ Scribed by Jones, Dorothy P. ;Singer, Marcus

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1969
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 725 KB
• Volume: 171
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1401710408

✦ Synopsis

The neurotrophic influence on the morphological maintenance of the lateral-line sensory organs has been studied i n the adult newt, Triturus viridescens, under various conditions of denervation. Results show little if any atrophic and degenerative changes during two months following resection of the lateral-line nerve or the incident spinal nerves. However, if both are destroyed, thus rendering the total environs of the organs nerveless, atrophy and degeneration are advanced within a two-month period and, indeed, are evident within three weeks. The results favor the idea of neurotrophic control of the lateral-line sensory organs in amphibians. The results are discussed against the background of past controversies and speculations on the neurotrophic phenomenon. Various control experiments including heterotopic transplantation of the sensory organs are also reported.