title: Dissection and culturing of chick ciliary ganglion neurons: a system well suited to synaptic study.
abstract: This chapter describes the function and development of the ciliary ganglion, the potential of ciliary ganglion neurons as a cell biological tool, and their dissection, dissociation, and culturing. Ciliary ganglion neurons grow unusually rapidly on a laminin-based substratum and develop large, thin calyx terminals in culture in less than 12 h. The two neuronal classes present in the cultures can be identified by size alone. The limited number of ganglia per animal renders this ganglion a poor choice for biochemical studies based on the extraction of cultured cells. However, they are ideally suited for studies based on single-cell observation, particularly investigation of presynaptic mechanisms using fluorescence microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D004210:Dissection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D009802:Oculomotor Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media