title: Survival of purified embryonic chick retinal ganglion cells in the presence of neurotrophic factors.
abstract: In a search for neurotrophic factors (NTFs) regulating retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in the chick embryo we have used purified and cultured RGCs. Purification of RGCs from embryonic day 10 was achieved by employing the "panning" method (Silverstein and Chun: Soc Neurosci Abstr 13:1054, 1987). The obtained neuron population consisted of 97% RGCs as demonstrated by retrograde labeling with a fluorescence dye. RGCs were cultured at low density in a chemically defined medium and short-term survival (24 hr) was determined. In the absence of NTFs, less than 3% of the RGCs survived. In the presence of various crude or purified NTFs (eye, brain, and tectum extracts; glial-conditioned medium; ciliary neurotrophic factor [CNTF]; nerve growth factor [NGF]) 31% to 52% of the RGCs were maintained. The effects of NGF and CNTF were not additive. Neither acidic nor basic fibroblast growth factor was able to maintain RGCs in culture. Our results, obtained with a culture system which allowed the analysis of direct trophic actions, suggest that NGF and CNTF may be NTFs for overlapping subpopulations of chick RGCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Marburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lehwalder
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Jeffrey
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Unsicker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005123:Eye / Q000378:metabolism*; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012160:Retina; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D003470:Culture Media; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors