The mechanisms involved in the growth of axons along specific, pathways will be studied in the chick hindlimb. Select sets of neurons will be labeled in ovo with different fluorescent dyes and then removed from the embryo and studied in culture. Two types of sensory neurons, those that innervate skin and muscle, will be studied to determine if these differ in their responses to contact with processes of motoneurons, expression of various cell adhesion molecules and growth toward specific target tissues. More generally, these studies promise to elucidate mechanisms involved in the development of neuronal specificity and regeneration.
