title: Factors influencing neuronal growth in primary cultures derived from 3-day-old chick embryos.
abstract: We compared neuronal growth patterns in primary cultures prepared by dissociating 3-day-old chick embryos, either whole embryo (E3WE) or head only (E3H) and plating the dispersed cells onto Petri dishes coated with either poly-L-lysine, collagen or laminin. The culture medium was Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM), supplemented with either 5 or 10% fetal bovine calf serum (FCS). As we have previously described, in E3WE cultures on poly-L-lysine the neuronal primary growth patterns were aggregation with neuritic fasciculation, presence of growth cones with microspikes and very few flat cells. In contrast with cultures grown on poly-L-lysine, in cultures grown on collagen or laminin the distinct growth pattern was extensive networks of isolated and differentiated neurons lying on acquired monolayers of flat cells. When 5% FCS was used, as compared to 10% FCS, neuronal aggregates were fewer and smaller on poly-L-lysine; on collagen or laminin a tendency to aggregate was observed. Several differences were observed in the E3H cultures when compared to E3WE: (a) aggregates were less numerous with the prevailing pattern being a web-like, self-contained aggregate; (b) aggregates connected with other aggregates or flat cells were rare and the aggregate adhesivity was minimized; (c) neurons on collagen or laminin formed networks with the exception of a few, small aggregates displaying no fasciculation; (d) flat cells did not form a monolayer but islets which hosted the neuronal meshy networks. We attribute these differences in the growth patterns between the various types of cultures to be the combined result of a variety of environmental signals, derived from the provided substrata, the serum and the nonneuronal cell factors and cell surface, all primarily regulating neuronal adhesivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80204.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mangoura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakellaridis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vernadakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*