Growth cones and axon trajectories of a sensory pathway in the amphibian spinal cord

Central axons of sensory ganglion (SG) neurons of the Xenopus tail enter the spinal cord via the ventral roots and travel dorsally and rostrally following a diagonal course within the lateral marginal zone (LMZ) to reach the dorsolateral fasciculus (DLF) (Nordlander et al.: Brain Res., 440:391-395, 1988). Axons are dispersed as they cross the cord. At the DLF they turn and travel together rostrally, sharing the fascicle with axons of primary sensory neurons (Rohon-Beard cells) already present in the tract. In this paper we analyze the growth patterns of the central projections of SG axons in the tail by using HRP applied to proximal branches of tail spinal nerves. Growth cones of the diagonal route are variable in configuration, often bearing processes that spread within the LMZ. Once the DLF, growth cones change shape, becoming distinctly linear. While growth cones navigating the diagonal part of the route never contact or fasciculate with other diagonal SG axons, SG growth cones and axons of the DLF are more closely associated with their fellows. Measurements of the slopes of SG axons in the diagonal route indicated a limited range with a mean of 23 degrees with respect to the cord axis. On the basis of these observations, we conclude that 1) navigational patterns for growth cones of this pathway differ for the diagonal versus the DLF part of its course, and 2) fasciculation is not a mechanism used by SG axons to reach the DLF, but that instead, each axon is able to find its way independently.