A glial cell line promotes the outgrowth of neurites from embryonic Xenopus retina.
A glial cell line (XR1 cell line) derived from Xenopus retinal neuroepithelium was examined for neurite outgrowth promoting activity. A monolayer of the XR1 cells serves as an excellent substrate upon which embryonic retinal explants attach and freely elaborate neurites. The XR1 neurite outgrowth promoting activity is not secreted into the medium, but is laid down directly on the substrate where it remains active after lysing the cells by hypoosmotic shock. A polyclonal antiserum raised against membranes of the XR1 cells was effective in blocking neurite outgrowth on XR1 conditioned collagen. It is proposed that the neurite outgrowth promoting factors produced by the XR1 cells are associated with the extracellular matrix and possibly glial specific.
Sakaguchi
D S
DS
Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093.
Coffman
C R
CR
Gallenson
N
N
Harris
W A
WA
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D008566:Membranes / Q000276:immunology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000637:transplantation; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D012160:Retina / Q000196:embryology*; D014981:Xenopus
D000906:Antibodies