The maturation of the ventral root-spinal cord transitional zone: An ultrastructural study

Abstract

Initially, ventral motoneurone axons in the transitional zone are closely apposed to one another. They subsequently become progressively separated by astrocyte processes which grow into the axon bundles. These processes become progressively more numerous and project into the ventral rootlet as a glial dome. This disappears with maturation, the surface of the transitional zone becoming level with that of the surrounding cord. At first, a considerable length of the axon in and deep to, the transitional zone is covered only by astrocyte processes. The sleeve of oligodendrocytic cytoplasm myelinating the axon extends distally along it towards the cord surface, thus decreasing the length of axon covered by astrocyte processes. Concurrently, the Schwann cell myelinating the most proximal peripheral internode becomes invaginated into the cord over lengths of 50 μm or more. Finger-like processes stem from its central end and abut on the nodal axolemma, as in peripheral nodes. However, a few astrocyte processes remain closely applied to the nodal axolemma, even at maturity. In the adult, the attachment zone consists of closely packed invaginations, each containing the central end of a Schwann cell and its myelin sheath, presenting a honeycomb appearance.