Eur J Morphol 1994 Aug 01;322-4:267-70.

The use of tracers in explants of the developing reticular formation and spinal cord of Xenopus laevis.

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The development of reticulospinal projections to the lumbar spinal cord is studied by using a collagen co-culture system. Outgrowing reticulospinal fibers seem to grow out in a straightforward direction, without a specific preference for the lumbar or tail spinal cord. Carbocyanine tracers such as DiI, DiO and DiA are used to label the outgrowing fibers or their parent cell bodies. In double labeling studies contacts of outgrowing reticulospinal fibers with lumbar motoneurons are analyzed. The advances of a confocal laser scanning microscope for such studies are illustrated.

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