The International Journal of Developmental Biology

Int. J. Dev. Biol. 49: 237 - 241 (2005)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.041961mt

Vol 49, Issue 2-3

Special Issue: The Nogent Institute

Transfer of an avian genetic reflex epilepsy by embryonic brain graft: a tissue autonomous process?

Published: 1 May 2005

Marie-Aimée Teillet*,1, Robert Naquet2 and Cesira Batini3

1Laboratoire d'Embryologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, CNRS UMR 7128, Nogent-sur-Marne, France, 2Institut de Neurobiologie Alfred FESSARD, CNRS UPR 2197, Gif-sur-Yvette, France and 3Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Université Paris VI, CNRS UMR 7091, Paris, France

Abstract

Electroencephalographic characteristics and clinical symptoms of an avian genetic reflex epilepsy have been transferred from Fayoumi epileptic (Fepi) chickens to non-epileptic chickens by embryonic homotopic grafts of brain neuroepithelium. Transplanted tissues belonging to the prosencephalic vesicle transferred epileptic electrical features while tissues from the mesencephalic vesicle were responsible for seizure motor manifestations of the disease. Thus each of these tissues can express their own specificity when grafted separately in a normal host, but they co-operate to produce the complete epileptic phenotype when grafted together.

Keywords

Brain chimera, avian genetic reflex epilepsy, behavior transfer, EEG

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