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New plastic plates which enhance neurite extension in culture: roles of bisphenol-A and tricyclodecanyl units for growth and orientation of neurites on plastic plates with microstructures.

In order to study molecular mechanisms of contact guidance of neurites, dissociated culture of adult mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells was performed for 6 species of plastic plates different in monomer compositions. Microstructures (grooves of 5-10 microns wide and 1 micron deep) were grafted on the plates so as to guide neurite growth in their axial direction. Neurites were longer and more oriented on plates with larger water contact angle. The distribution of neurites was uneven between grooves and steps of the microstructures, exhibiting a bell-shaped curve in relation to the water contact angle of the plastic. These indicate that hydrophilic properties of the plastic plate surface, due to the presence of bisphenol-A and tricyclodecanyl units, are crucially involved in the elongation and orientation of neurites.

Animals↗

Effects of calcium ion on neurite outgrowth of rat spinal cord neurons in vitro: the role of non-neuronal cells in regulating neurite sprouting.

The interactions of nerve cells with their environment and other cells are specific to different stages of cellular differentiation. Neurite outgrowth was measured from cultured spinal cord neurons under the influence of different Ca2+ concentrations. We used fluorodeoxyuridine (FuDr), an antimitotic agent which reduces significantly the proportion of non-neuronal cells in spinal cord cell cultures, to examine the effects of non-neuronal cells on neurite outgrowth. Spinal cord neurons responded to changes in their environment by means of two types of neurite outgrowth: sprouting and elongation. The concurrent presence of non-neuronal cells led to increased sprouting of neurites in certain ionic environments, thus lending support to the idea that non-neuronal cells release diffusible factors which influence sprouting and guide neurite outgrowth.

Animals↗

Antisense MAP-2 oligonucleotides induce changes in microtubule assembly and neuritic elongation in pre-existing neurites of rat cortical neurons.

Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) is an abundant component of the cytoskeleton present in dendrites and cell bodies of neurons of the CNS. To examine the biological function of MAP-2, two MAP-2 antisense (AS) oligonucleotides complementary to the 5' region of the rat MAP-2 cDNA were added to rat primary embryonic day 17-18 (E17-18) cultured cortical neurons 24 h after plating and neurite outgrowth and morphology studied. The treatment of primary cortical cultures with either of the two MAP-2 AS oligonucleotides resulted in decreased MAP-2 and reduction in the number of neuritic processes relative to the control or MAP-2 sense-treated cultures. By immunostaining and light microscopy the AS-treated neurons appeared smaller, more rounded, and less intensely stained for MAP-2 than the untreated or the MAP-2 sense-treated cultures. By electron microscopy disorganized microtubules and a reduction in the number of microtubules within neurites of the AS-treated cultures were observed. We conclude that MAP-2 continues to be required for microtubule spacing and stability within neurites once they have formed.

Animals↗

Inhibition of neurite outgrowth following intracellular delivery of anti-GAP-43 antibodies depends upon culture conditions and method of neurite induction.

NB2/dl neuroblastoma cells acquire a neuronal phenotype in response to several differentiating agents, including dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) and the withdrawal of serum. As shown previously, antibodies to the growth-associated protein, GAP-43, introduced intracellularly using a lipid carrier, blocked the differentiation induced by dbcAMP. Antibodies to GAP-43, at a low concentration, also blocked neurite outgrowth induced by serum withdrawal when cells were grown on a relatively unadhesive substrate. On more adhesive substrates such as poly-L-lysine and laminin, however, anti-GAP-43 antibodies had less of an effect on neurite outgrowth. Previous studies have shown that the increased adhesivity of laminin allows a small but significant population of neurites to grow from serum-deprived cells, even in the presence of the microtubule-depolymerizing drug, colchicine. The outgrowth of this population of neurites was blocked by antibodies to GAP-43. These results are in conformity with recent studies showing that the requirement for GAP-43 in neuritogenesis may be related to membrane adhesiveness, and may contribute to an understanding of some of the apparent discrepancies in the literature concerning the involvement of GAP-43 in neuronal differentiation.

Antibody Specificity↗

Microglial activation induces cell death, inhibits neurite outgrowth and causes neurite retraction of differentiated neuroblastoma cells.

Activation of glial cells has been proposed to contribute to neuronal dysfunction and neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we attempt to determine some of the effects of secreted factors from activated murine N-11 microglia on viability and morphology of neurons using the differentiated neuroblastoma cell line Neuro2a. Microglia were activated either by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), bacterial cell wall proteoglycans, or advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), protein-bound sugar oxidation products. At high LPS or AGE concentrations, conditioned medium from microglia caused neuronal cell death in a dose-dependent manner. At sublethal LPS or AGE concentrations, conditioned media inhibited retinoic acid-induced neurite outgrowth and stimulated retraction of already extended neurites. Among the many possible secreted factors, the contribution of NO or NO metabolites in the cytotoxicity of conditioned medium was investigated. Cell death and changes in neurite morphology were partly reduced when NO production was inhibited by nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. The results suggest that even in the absence of significant cell death, inflammatory processes, which are partly transmitted via NO metabolites, may affect intrinsic functions of neurons such as neurite extension that are essential components of neuronal morphology and thus may contribute to degenerative changes in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Merosin promotes cell attachment and neurite outgrowth and is a component of the neurite-promoting factor of RN22 schwannoma cells.

The laminin-like protein merosin was purified from human placenta in intact form and as pepsin fragments and compared to laminin in heparin affinity chromatography and cell binding assays. Intact merosin and a small fragment of merosin comprising the last two repeats of the heavy chain g domain bind to heparin. Intact merosin and large pepsin fragments of merosin, but not the small C-terminal fragment, mediate the attachment and spreading of several types of cells and promote neurite outgrowth from neuronal cells similar to laminin and its corresponding fragments. Cells with various integrin-type receptors for laminin attached equally well to merosin and laminin, suggesting that several of the known laminin binding receptors also bind to merosin. Antibodies to the beta 1 subunit of integrins inhibited neurite outgrowth on merosin as well as on laminin, confirming the involvement of integrin-mediated interaction of cells with both merosin and laminin. Schwannoma cells, which have previously been shown to produce a laminin-like, neurite-promoting factor, synthesize merosin in vivo and in vitro as shown by protein and mRNA analysis. The results suggest that merosin, which is the more abundant basement membrane protein in the laminin family, has properties very similar to laminin despite differences in the structure of the heavy chain. Furthermore, merosin may be identical to or a component of the neurite-promoting factors previously reported from heart, muscle, and Schwann cells.

Base Sequence↗

Exclusive association and simultaneous appearance of congophilic plaques and AT8-positive dystrophic neurites in Tg2576 mice suggest a mechanism of senile plaque formation and progression of neuritic dystrophy in Alzheimer's disease.

Progression of neuritic dystrophy is a histological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in addition to amyloid deposition and neurofibrillary tangle formation. Dystrophic neurites (DNs) are abnormal neurites, and are closely associated with amyloid deposits. To clarify the process of DN formation, we immunohistochemically investigated phosphorylated tau (AT8 and Ser396)-positive DNs and plaques in Tg2576 mice overexpressing human beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) with the Swedish type mutation (K670N/M671L). AT8-positive DNs were exclusively associated with the Congo red-positive plaques examined, and all Abeta(1-40)-positive plaques appeared to be associated with AT8-positive DNs, whereas there were no AT8-positive DNs with Abeta(1-42)-positive/Abeta(1-40)-negative plaques. Since we have previously shown that Abeta(1-42)-positive plaque precede Abeta(1-40) deposition, the appearance of congophilic structures is also late. Quantitative analyses were performed on AT8-positive DNs that were associated with congophilic plaques in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (more than 1,000 plaques). The number of congophilic plaques increased dramatically with age. The area of DNs in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus increased 120- and 60-fold from 11-13 to 20.5 months of age, respectively. Interestingly, the mean ratio of DN area to congophilic plaque area in every plaque was unchanged, approximately 10%, through the ages examined. The mean plaque size was stable with age in both the cortex and hippocampus. These data suggest that the formation of AT8-positive DNs is simultaneous with Congo red-positive plaque development, and that the event may be closely related in the pathological progression of AD.

Age Factors↗

Neurofascin induces neurites by heterophilic interactions with axonal NrCAM while NrCAM requires F11 on the axonal surface to extend neurites.

Neurofascin and NrCAM are two axon-associated transmembrane glycoproteins belonging to the L1 subgroup of the Ig superfamily. In this study, we have analyzed the interaction of both proteins using neurite outgrowth and binding assays. A neurofascin-Fc chimera was found to stimulate the outgrowth of tectal cells when immobilized on an inert surface but not as a soluble form using polylysine as substrate. Antibody blocking experiments demonstrate that neurite extension on immobilized neurofascin is mediated by NrCAM on the axonal surface. Under the reverse experimental conditions where NrCAM induces neurite extension, F11, and not neurofascin, serves as axonal receptor. Binding studies using transfected COS7 cells and immunoprecipitations reveal a direct interaction between neurofascin and NrCAM. This binding activity was mapped to the Ig domains within neurofascin. The neurofascin-NrCAM binding can be modulated by alternative splicing of specific stretches within neurofascin. These studies indicate that heterophilic interactions between Ig-like proteins implicated in axonal extension underlie a regulation by the neuron.

Animals↗

Neurotropic pyrimidine heterocyclic compounds. I. The newly synthesized pyrimidine compounds promote neurite outgrowth of GOTO and neuro 2a neuroblastoma cell lines, and potentiate nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neurite sprouting of PC 12 cells.

From the study using cultured human and mouse neuroblastoma cells, we found that a new type of synthetic bicyclic pyrimidine compounds possessing piperazine moiety strongly promoted neurite outgrowth in neuroblastoma cell lines human GOTO and mouse neuro 2a. The most effective compounds of these 2-piperazinopyrimidine derivatives possessing nerve growth factor (NGF)-like activity were 2-piperazino-6-oxo-5,6-dihydro(7H)pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and 2-piperadino-6-methyl-5-oxo-5,6-dihydro(7H)pyrrolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin e. The piperazinopyrimidine compounds were also shown to potentiate NGF-induced neurite sprouting of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. The compounds were more effective in cell cultures than isopropylaminopyrimidine (isaxonine) which had been previously developed and then withdrawn. We discussed the merit of the method of the screening of neurotropic compounds by neurite sprouting activity in cultured neuroblastoma cells.

Animals↗

Metallothionein-IIA promotes initial neurite elongation and postinjury reactive neurite growth and facilitates healing after focal cortical brain injury.

Metallothioneins (MTs) are small, cysteine-rich, metal binding proteins. Their function has often been considered as stress-related proteins capable of protecting cells from heavy metal toxicity and oxidative free radicals. However, recent interest has focused on the brain-specific MT-III isoform, which has neurite-inhibitory properties. To investigate the effect of another MT isoform, human MT-IIA, on neurite growth, we used rat cortical neuron cultures. MT-IIA promoted a significant increase in the rate of initial neurite elongation of individually plated neurons. We also investigated the effect of MT-IIA on the neuronal response to axonal transection in vitro. MT-IIA promoted reactive axonal growth after injury, and, by 18 hr after transection, MT-IIA had promoted axonal growth across the injury tract. Exogenous application of MT-IIA after cortical brain injury promoted wound healing, as observed by a significant decrease in cellular degradation at 4 d after injury. Furthermore, MT-IIA-treated rats exhibited numerous SMI-312-immunoreactive axonal processes within the injury tract. This was in contrast to vehicle-treated animals, in which few axonal sprouts were observed. By 7 d after injury, MT-IIA treatment resulted in a total closing over of the injury tract by microglia, astrocytes, and reactive axonal processes. However, although some reactive axonal processes were observed within the injury tract of vehicle-treated rats, the tract itself was almost never entirely enclosed. These results are discussed in relation to a possible physiological role of metallothioneins in the brain, as well as in a therapeutic context.

Animals↗

Neurofascin: a novel chick cell-surface glycoprotein involved in neurite-neurite interactions.

We have identified neurofascin, a novel chick cell-surface glycoprotein involved in neurite-neurite interactions. Neurofascin is defined by its reactivity with monoclonal antibody (MAb) F6, which detects two polypeptides (160 and 185 kd) in immunotransfers of brain plasma membrane proteins. Immunoaffinity chromatography using immobilized MAb F6 yields major molecular mass bands at 185, 160, 135-110, and 92 kd. Fingerprint analyses show that these polypeptides are related. Neurofascin is expressed primarily in fiber-rich areas of embryonic cerebellum, spinal cord, and retina. Fab fragments of polyclonal antibodies to neurofascin interfere with the outgrowth of retinal and sympathetic axons in two different in vitro bioassays. Neurofascin is immunologically distinct from other known neurite-associated surface glycoproteins.

Animals↗

Intracellular control of axial shape in non-uniform neurites: a serial electron microscopic analysis of organelles and microtubules in AI and AII retinal amacrine neurites.

AI and AII cat retinal amacrine cells have highly varicose non-uniform, neuritic processes. Processes of both types were reconstructed via a computer system using serial electron micrographs. These reconstructions were analyzed for (a) varicosity volume, surface area, and length, (b) "neck" volume, surface area, and length, (c) number of microtubules within the varicosity, (d) number of microtubules within the "neck," and (e) volume and surface area of mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum and large smooth vesicular bodies within the processes. Correlation of these parameters revealed a linear relationship between the number of microtubules in the necks and mean neck cross-sectional area (rs = 0.780, P less than 0.001), while microtubule number within the varicosities showed no correlation with varicosity volume (rs = 0.239, P greater than 0.2). Varicosity volume did, however, correlate strongly with the summed volume of mitochondria and smooth vesicular bodies contained within the varicosity for both cell types examined. The ratio between membranous organelle volume and varicosity volume for AI amacrine processes of 1:6.97 (rs = 0.927), differed from the ratio of 1:1.80 for the AII amacrine processes (rs = 0.987). Similar relationships were observed in other nonvaricose neurites such as optic tract axons. Membranous organelles appear to contribute an additional obligatory volume to the cytosol that can be as much as seven times the organelles' direct volume. These observations suggest that both the cytoskeletal components, and the membrane organelles play a direct role in determining neurite shape.

Animals↗

Real-time observation of the disassembly of stable neuritic microtubules induced by laser transection: possible mechanisms of microtubule stabilization in neurites.

By dissolving the membrane with detergent perfusion, we have shown that the established neurites of dorsal root ganglion cells cultured for more than 5 days contained microtubules which persisted outside the cell for a few minutes to more than 1h [Tashiro et al., 1997: J. Neurosci. Res. 50:81-93]. To investigate their stabilization mechanism, we transected the exposed microtubules by laser microbeam irradiation and observed their length changes with video-enhanced differential interference contrast microscopy. Microtubule fragments started to shorten on both sides of the transection site. more rapidly from the newly generated plus ends than from the minus ends. The maximal rate as well as the pattern of shortening correlated with the time of transection; microtubules transected later than 30 min after membrane removal shortened at rates less than 20 microm/min and typically with intermittent pauses, while the more labile microtubules included in the earlier transections shortened continuously at higher rates. Microtubules in neurites were thus stabilized by 1) stopping disassembly at local sites including the plus ends, and 2) slowing disassembly along the length. Transection also suggested the presence of specialized points along microtubules which are involved in anchoring microtubules to the substratum. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 42:87-100, 1999.

Animals↗

LAR tyrosine phosphatase receptor: a developmental isoform is present in neurites and growth cones and its expression is regional- and cell-specific.

Transgenic mice and Drosophila mutant studies demonstrate that the leukocyte common antigen-related (LAR) protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) receptor is required for formation of neural networks. We assessed the hypothesis that alternative splicing of the LAR extracellular region contributes to this function by establishing temporospatial expression patterns of LAR isoforms containing an alternatively spliced extracellular nine amino acid segment (LAR alternatively spliced element-c; LASE-c). LASE-c was present in multiple alternatively spliced and truncated LAR transcripts. In contrast to LAR isoforms without LASE-c, levels of LAR transcripts and protein isoforms containing LASE-c were primarily present during development, suggesting a mechanism for developmental regulation of LAR function. In situ analysis demonstrated increasingly region- and cell-specific expression of LASE-c during maturation. Immunostaining revealed LASE-c-containing LAR protein along neurites and in growth cones. The discovery of highly regulated, temporospatial extracellular domain alternative splicing of LAR-type PTPase receptors points to a novel mechanism by which these receptors might influence network formation.

Animals↗

Adriamycin promotes neurite outgrowth in the "neurite-minus" N1A-103 mouse neuroblastoma cell line.

Adriamycin, an anticancer agent acting on topoisomerase II, promotes the arrest of cell division and neurite extension in a "neurite-minus" murine neuroblastoma cell line, N1A-103. This morphological differentiation is accompanied by a blockade in the S phase of the cell cycle, modification of the amount of peripherin, and appearance of the beta 7-tubulin isoform. Yet, adriamycin-induced N1A-103 cells fail to express other neuronal markers, such as long-lasting Ca2+ channels, synaptophysin, and the shift in the proportion of the beta'1 tubulin isoform to the beta'2 isoform, whose appearance parallels the terminal differentiation of the wild type neuroblastoma cell line N1E-115. Hence, a comparison of the behavior of these two cell lines leads to the proposal that there are two programs of neuroblastoma differentiation: one where expression is triggered by the arrest of cell division and which is observed in adriamycin-induced N1A-103 variant cells, and the other, presumably occurring further downstream, which would involve further changes in morphogenesis and acquisition of new electrophysiological properties.

Animals↗

Depolarization of PC12 cells induces neurite outgrowth and enhances nerve growth factor-induced neurite outgrowth in rats.

Synaptic plasticity is clearly controlled by synaptic activity and by neurotrophin-dependent signaling. We have previously hypothesized that synaptic activity modulates concomitant neurotrophin receptor signaling, thereby integrating the activity state of a synapse with the state of neurotrophic support available at the synapse. Herein we present evidence in support of this hypothesis. Using PC12 cells as a model of the presynaptic element, we show that depolarization increases TrkA tyrosine phosphorylation in response to nerve growth factor (NGF). Moreover, we show that depolarization alone is sufficient to induce the tyrosine phosphorylation of TrkA. These findings are functionally relevant, as evidenced by our observation that depolarization alone induces neurite outgrowth, and that depolarization dramatically enhances neurite outgrowth in response to NGF, especially in primed PC12 cells. We conclude that normal synaptic function may depend upon the integration of synaptic activity and activity-dependent neurotrophin release and signaling, and that these findings have potential relevance to neural repair.

Animals↗

Developmentally regulated neurite outgrowth response from dorsal root ganglion neurons to heparin-binding growth-associated molecule (HB-GAM) and the expression of HB-GAM in the targets of the developing dorsal root ganglion neurites.

Heparin-binding growth-associated molecule (HB-GAM) is a highly conserved cell surface- and extracellular matrix-associated protein that enhances neurite outgrowth in brain neurons in vitro. To study the possible response of peripheral neurons, we cultured chicken dorsal root ganglion neurons from different developmental stages from embryonic day 4.5 (E4.5; St 25) to E9 (St 35) on recombinant HB-GAM. We discovered that the neurite outgrowth response to HB-GAM is maximal at E5.5-6.5 (St 28-30). In order to correlate this in vitro phenomenon with in vivo phenomena, immunohistochemical staining and in situ hybridization were performed on cryosections. The protein expression of HB-GAM peaked at E6 (St 29) and was most extensive on the dorsal spinal cord and dorsal roots. Using Dil labelling, we confirmed that at the time when sensory afferents travel longitudinally in the bundle of His of the spinal cord, HB-GAM protein expression there is at its peak. Though HB-GAM is a secreted protein, at the RNA level the timing of HB-GAM appearance and existence in the spinal cord and sensory ganglia is in accordance with its protein expression. Our results demonstrate that peripheral neurons are responsive to substrate-bound HB-GAM in a developmentally regulated manner, and that the expression of both HB-GAM mRNA and protein in vivo is spatially and temporally matched to this in vitro phenomenon. HB-GAM is therefore a putative cue for the growth of sensory afferents to and within the dorsal spinal cord.

Animals↗

Elevation of ceramide within distal neurites inhibits neurite growth in cultured rat sympathetic neurons.

Sphingolipids are abundant constituents of neuronal membranes and have been implicated in intracellular signaling. We show that two analogs of glycosphingolipid biosynthetic intermediates, fumonisin B1 (which inhibits dihydroceramide synthesis) and DL-1-phenyl-2-palmitoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol (PPMP) (which inhibits glucosylceramide synthesis) decrease glycosphingolipid synthesis in rat sympathetic neurons. Although both fumonisin and PPMP inhibit glycosphingolipid synthesis, these inhibitors have differential effects on ceramide metabolism in axons. threo-PPMP, but not erythro-PPMP or fumonisin, induces an accumulation of [3H]palmitate-labeled ceramide and impairs axonal growth. Moreover, exogenously added, cell-permeable C6-ceramide, but not C6-dihydroceramide, mimicks the effect of PPMP. Our studies suggest that the lipid second messenger ceramide acts in distal axons, but not cell bodies, as a negative regulator of neurite growth.

Animals↗