title: Contact with astroglial membranes induces axonal and dendritic growth of human CNS model neurons and affects the distribution of the growth-associated proteins MAP1B and GAP43.
abstract: The development of morphological complexity of CNS neurons is thought to be regulated by extracellular factors and cellular contact. To analyze the role of contact with astroglia in this process and to determine the intraneuronal mechanisms involved, an in vitro system was developed where terminally differentiated and polar human CNS model neurons (NT2-N neurons) were cultured on a layer of mouse astrocytes or isolated membrane fractions in chemically defined medium. Morphometric analysis revealed that physical contact with living astrocytes increased the lengths of axonal and dendritic processes and lead to an increased number of branch points. Contact with astrocytes also resulted in a redistribution of the growth-associated proteins MAP1b and GAP-43 toward the growth cones of NT2-N neurons. Astrocyte-contact did not lead to a maturation of the neurons as would be detected by an increased expression of tau isoforms containing the adult-specific exons 2 and 3. Culture on immobilized membrane fractions prepared from astrocytes also increased the morphological complexity of the neurons in a qualitatively similar manner. The results indicate that physical contact with astrocyte membranes increases the morphological complexity of CNS model neurons through a mechanism that involves a redistribution of growth-associated proteins to neuronal growth cones. NT2-N neurons may provide a useful cellular model to analyze cytoskeletal mechanisms during the development of terminally differentiated and polar human neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, IZN, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-16920 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piontek
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Régnier-Vigouroux
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brandt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C085284:microtubule-associated protein 1B