title: Calcitonin gene-related peptide identifies spinal motoneurons in vitro.
abstract: Cell dissociation of E6 chick spinal cord followed by isolation of larger low-density cells by using a discontinuous density metrizamide gradient resulted in the obtention of a motoneuron-enriched fraction of cells. These cells were cultured in the presence of horse serum and muscle extract for a period of 8 days and examined for the presence of calcitonin gene-related peptide. More than 90% of such cells were positive for calcitonin gene-related peptide. When E14 spinal cord was examined, calcitonin gene-related peptide was present only in the axons of primary sensory neurons and in the somas of motoneurons in the ventral horns. It is concluded that more than 90% of the neurons in our cultures are motoneurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Juurlink
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Munoz
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Devon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide