Summary
The development of sensory structures in the pineal organ of the chick was examined by means of scanning electron microscopy from embryonic day 10 through day 12 post-hatching. At embryonic day 10, the wall of the tubules within the pineal primordium is composed of cells with unspecialized luminal surface. Differentiation of sensory structures starts at embryonic day 12 when pinealocytes and supporting cells can be distinguished. Pinealocytes are recognized by virtue of an inner segment only rarely endowed with a cilium, whereas supporting cells exhibit numerous short microvilli. Further differentiation of the sensory apparatus is achieved by development of an oval-shaped, biconcave swelling at the tip of the cilium, 1×2 μm in size, and a collar of long microvilli at the base of the inner segment. Membrane specializations of sensory cilia, however, were not detected. Since during embryonic life new tubules and follicles are continuously formed, all stages of differentiation of sensory structures are found in the chick pineal organ during the second half of the incubation period and the first two weeks after hatching. In 200-μm-thick Vibratome sections of chick-embryo pineal organs cultured in medium BM 86 Wissler for periods up to 13 days the cytodifferentiation parallels the development in vivo. Using an organ-culture system the 24-h release of melatonin into the culture medium was measured by means of radioimmunoassay after solid-phase extraction. At embryonic day 10, the 24-h secretion of melatonin was at the lower range of detection of the RIA (5 pg). The rapid increase in 24-h secretion in melatonin until hatching (∼50 μg) is approximated by an exponential curve.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Binkley S (1976) Comparative biochemistry of the pineal gland of birds and mammals. Am Zool 16:57–65
Binkley S, Geller EB (1975) Pineal enzymes in chickens: Development of daily rhythmicity. Gen Comp Endocrinol 27:424–429
Binkley SA, Macbride SE, Klein DC, Ralph CL (1975) Regulation of pineal rhythms in chickens: refractory period and nonvisual light perception. Endocrinology 96:848–853
Binkley S, Riebman JB, Reilly KB (1977) Timekeeping by the pineal gland. Science 197:1181–1183
Binkley S, Riebman JB, Reilly KB (1978) The pineal gland: A biological clock in vitro. Science 202:1198–1201
Bishoff MB, (1969) Photoreceptoral and secretory structures in the avian pineal organ. J Ultrastruct Res 28:16–26
Boya L, Calvo J (1978) Post hatching evolution of the pineal gland of the chicken. Acta Anat 101:1–9
Boya J, Calvo J (1979) Evolution of the pineal gland in the adult chicken Acta Anat 104:104–122
Boya J, Calvo J (1980) Ultrastructural study of the post-hatching evolution of the pineal gland of the chicken (Gallus gallus). Acta Anat 107:143–168
Boya J, Zamorano L (1975) Ultrastructural study of the pineal gland of the chicken (Gallus gallus). Acta Anat 92:202–226
Calvo J, Boya J (1978) Embryonic development of the pineal gland of the chicken (Gallus gallus). Acta Anat 101:289–303
Calvo J, Boya J (1979) Ultrastructural study of the embryonic development of the pineal gland of the chicken (Gallus gallus). Acta Anat 103:39–73
Campbell E, Gibson MA (1970) A histological and histochemical study of the development of the pineal gland in the chick, Gallus domesticus. Can J Zool 48:1321–1328
Collin JP (1971) Differentiation and regression of the cells of the sensory line in the epiphysis cerebri. In: Wolstenholme GEW, Knight J (eds) The Pineal Gland, Churchill-Livingstone, London, pp 79–125
Collin JP, Voisin P, Falcón J, Brisson P (1987) Evolution and environmental control of secretory processes in pineal transducers. In: Scharrer B, Korf H-W, Hartwig HG (eds) Functional Morphology of Neuroendocrine Systems. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 105–121
Collin JP, Oksche A (1981) Structural and functional relationship in the nonmammalian pineal gland. In: Reiter RJ (ed) The Pineal Gland. Anatomy and biochemistry, Vol. 1 Boca Raton: CRC, pp 27–67
Deguchi T (1979a) Circadian rhythm of serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity in organ culture of chicken pineal gland. Science 203:1245–1247
Deguchi T (1979b) A circadian oscillator in cultured cells of chicken pineal gland. Nature 282:94–96
Deguchi T (1981) Rhodopsin-like photosensitivity of isolated chicken pineal gland. Nature 290:706–707
Deguchi T (1982) Endogenous oscillator and photoreceptor for serotonin N-acetyltransferase rhythm in chicken pineal gland. In: Aschoff A, Daan S, Groos GA (eds) Vertebrate Circadian Systems-Structure and Physiology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 164–172
Firth BT, Kennaway DJ (1987) Melatonin content of the pineal, parietal eye and blood plasma of the lizard, Trachydosaurus rugosus: effect of constant and fluctuating temperature. Brain Res 404:313–318
Fraser IH, Wainwright SD (1976) The influence of lighting conditions upon the level and course of increase in specific activity of serotonin N-acetyltransferase in the developing chick pineal gland. Can J Biochem 54:103–109
Fujie E (1968) Ultrastructure of the pineal body of the domestic chicken with special reference to the changes by altered photoperiods. Arch Histol Jpn 29:271–303
Korf H-W, Oksche A (1986) The pineal organ. In: Pang PKT, Schreibman M (eds) Vertebrate Endocrinology. Fundamentals and Biomedical Implications. Vol. 1, Academic Press, New York, pp 105–145
Maser M, Trimble III JJ (1977) Rapid chemical dehydration of biologic samples for scanning electron microscopy using 2,2-dimethoxypropan. J Histochem Cytochem 25:247–251
Menaker M (1968) Extraretinal light perception in sparrows. I Entrainment of the biological clock. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 59:414–421
Menaker M, Oksche A (1974) The avian pineal organ. Farner DS, King JR (eds) Avian. Biol 4:79–118
Möller W (1978) Circumventricular organs in cell culture. Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 54:5–95
Möller W (1981) Cytobiology of pineal organ in tissue culture. In: Oksche A, Pévet P (eds) The pineal organ. Dev Endocrinol 14:169–186
Möller W (1986) Differentiation of the chick pineal organ in vitro. In: Gupta D, Reiter RJ (eds) The pineal gland during development: from fetus to adult. London Sydney Croom Helm: 65–72
Möller W (1987) Differenzierung sensorischer Strukturen der Hühnerepiphyse während der Embryonalentwicklung in vivo und in vitro. Verh Anat Ges 81:537–538
Muller JJ, Jacks TJ (1975) Rapid chemical dehydration of samples for electron microscopic examinations. J Histochem Cytochem 32:107–110
Ohba S, Wake K, Ohnishi R, Ueck M (1979) Neue Befunde am pinealen Sinnesapparat von Funa, Carassius gibelio langsdorfi (Teleostei). Verh Anat Ges 73:953–959
Oshima K, Matsuo S (1988) Cytodifferentiation of the chick pineal gland, with special reference to the photosensory and secretory elements. J Pineal Res 5:397–410
Oksche A (1971) Sensory and glandular elements of the pineal organ. In: Wolstenholme GEW, Knight J (eds) The pineal gland. Edinburgh: Churchill-Livingstone, pp 127–146
Oksche A, Vaupel-von Harnack M (1965) Über rudimentäre Sinneszellstrukturen im Pinealorgan des Hühnchens. Naturwissenschaften 52:662–663
Oksche A, Vaupel-von Harnack M (1966) Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen zur Frage der Sinneszellen im Pinealorgan der Vögel. Z Zellforsch 69: 41–60
Oksche A, Korf H-W, Rodríguez EM (1987) Pinealocytes as photoneuroendocrine units of neuronal origin: Concepts and evidence. Adv Pineal Res 2:1–18
Omura Y (1977) Ultrastructural study of embryonic and posthatching development in the pineal organ of the chicken (brown leghorn, Gallus domesticus). Cell Tissue Res 183:255–271
Rüdeberg C (1967) A rapid method for staining thin sections of Vestopal W-embedded tissue for light microscopy. Experientia 23:792
Spiroff BEN (1958) Embryonic and post-hatching development of the pineal body of the domestic fowl. Am J Anat 97:375–401
Takahashi JS (1982) Circadian rhythms of the isolated chicken pineal in vitro. In: Aschoff A, Daan S, Groos GA (eds) Vertebrate circadian systems. Structure and physiology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 158–163
Takahashi JS, Menaker M (1984) Multiple redundant circadian oscillators within the isolated avian pineal gland. J Comp Physiol 154:435–440
Takahashi JS, Hamm H, Menaker M (1980) Circadian rhythm of melatonin release from individual superfused chicken pineal glands in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:2319–2322
Tiefenauer LX, Andres RY (1984) Prevention of bridge binding effects in haptenic immunoassay systems exemplified by an iodinated radioimmunoassay for melatonin. J Immunol Methods 74:293–298
Ueck M, Onishi R, Wake K (1978) The outer segments of photoreceptive pinelocytes in the pineal organ of the Funa, Carassisus gibelio langsdorfi. Cell Tiss Res 186:259–268
Vidmar B (1953) The development in vitro of the embryonic body of the domestic fowl. J Embryol Exp Morphol 1:417–423
Vollrath L (1981) The pineal organ. Handbuch der mikroskopischen Anatomie des Menschen VI/7, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, p 1–665
Wainwright SD (1974) Course of the increase in hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activity in the pineal gland of the chick embryo and young chick. J Neurochem 22:193–196
Wainwright SD (1982) Some answers to a 2000-year old question: The role(s) of the pineal gland. Rev Pure and Aplied Pharm Sci 3:185–262
Wainwright SD, Wainwright LK (1982) Probing the chick pineal clock. In: The pineal and its hormones. Alan Liss, New York, pp 87–94
Zatz M, Mullen DA, Moskal JR (1988) Photoendocrine transduction in cultured chick pineal cells: effects of light, dark, and potassium on the melatonin rhythm Brain Res 438:199–215
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Preliminary results of this study were reported at the Versammlung der Anatomischen Gesellschaft in Lübeck, 1986 (Möller 1987). Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (MO234/9-2)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Möller, W., Möller, G. Structural and functional differentiation of the embryonic chick pineal organ in vivo and in vitro. Cell Tissue Res 260, 337–348 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318636
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318636