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Local control of neurite development by nerve growth factor.

A three-chamber culture system was devised in which neurites growing from small clusters of somas of sympathetic neurons penetrated a virtually fluid-impermeable barrier; thus the local fluid environment of the distal portions of the neurites could be controlled independently of the local fluid environment of the somas and proximal portions of the neurites. Neurites regularly penetrated the barriers if a high concentration of nerve growth factor was present on both sides, but never penetrated into chambers to which no nerve growth factor had been added. After neurites crossed the barrier, local removal of nerve growth factor from the distal portions of the neurites caused the growth of these portions to stop, and they eventually appeared to degenerate even though nerve growth factor was continuously present in the chamber that contained their somas and proximal portions. In contrast, local nerve growth factor was not required at the somas and proximal portions of the neurites; many neurons survived its withdrawal provided their somas were associated with neurite bundles that crossed into a chamber containing nerve growth factor. These results show that the growth, and probably the survival, of neurites depends upon nerve growth factor in their local environment, regardless of the nerve growth factor concentrations to which other portions of the neuron are exposed. This is entirely consistent with the notion that nerve growth factor released by sympathetic target tissues promotes the establishment and maintenance of appropriate neuron-target connections during development.

Animals

Evidence for RNA synthesis-dependent and -independent pathways in stimulation of neurite outgrowth by nerve growth factor.

Studies on the mechanism of action of nerve growth factor (NGF) were carried out with PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. PC12 cells are uniquely useful for such studies because they respond to, but (unlike normal neurons) do not require, NGF and may undergo either generation or regeneration of neurites in response to NGF. Regeneration is defined here as NGF-dependent regrowth of neurites within 24 hr after subculture of NGF-treated PC12 cells. As in cultures of normal NGF-responsive neurons, neurite regeneration by PC12 cells occurs even in the presence of high concentrations of RNA synthesis inhibitors. Generation of neurites is defined as the de novo initiation of outgrowth when PC12 cells are exposed to NGF for the first time. In contrast to regeneration, neurite generation takes place with a lag of at least 24 hr and is blocked by low concentrations of RNA synthesis inhibitors. Such findings suggest that there are both RNA synthesis-dependent and -independent pathways in the mechanism whereby NGF stimulates neurite outgrowth. In addition, NGF-treated PC12 cells undergo a time-dependent loss of the capacity for neurite regeneration after pretreatment with RNA synthesis inhibitors or withdrawal of NGF. Such findings suggest that (i) initiation of neurite outgrowth requires NGF-stimulated, RNA synthesis-dependent accumulation of intracellular material(s), (ii) once such accumulation occurs, RNA synthesis-independent regeneration can occur (but only in the presence of NGF), and (iii) the turnover of such material(s) in the absence of their replacement leads to loss of the capacity for regeneration. A tentative sequence is presented for the events whereby NGF may stimulate neurite outgrowth.

Camptothecin

Nuclear control of neurite induction in neuroblastoma cells.

Induction of neurite formation in neuroblastoma cells by dibutyryl cyclic 3':5'-AMP (db-cAMP) or prostaglandin EI (PGE1) was enhanced after enucleation. Cells selected for resistance to db-cAMP were induced to form neurites by db-cAMP or PGE1 only after, but not before enucleation. Inhibition of protein synthesis inhibited neurite induction in nucleated, but not in enucleated cells, and enucleated cells were less sensitive to inhibition of neurite formation by concanavalin A (ConA). Colchicine, vinblastine and cytochalasin B (CB), compounds that interfere with the assembly of microtubules and microfilaments, inhibited induction in both types of cells. It is suggested that enucleation removes a nuclear inhibitor of neurite induction by db-cAMP and PGE1, and that neurite induction in nucleated cells requires that cAMP activates the assembly of microtubules and microfilaments and inactivates the nuclear inhibitor.

Alprostadil

Induction of neurite outgrowth by a conditioned-medium factor bound to the culture substratum.

Heart-cell conditioned medium (HCM) induces rapid neurite outgrowth from isolated neurons in culture. The following evidence indicates that this action of HCM is due to a trypsin-sensitive factor which attaches to the polyornithinecoated culture substratum: (i) Pretreatment of the culture substratum with HCM allows rapid neurite outgrowth to occur even in unconditioned media. The active factor remains bound to the substratum during the period of neurite outgrowth. (ii) The substratum-bound activity is destroyed by trypsin treatment, but is insensitive to collagenase, RNase, and DNase. (iii) The factor that binds to the substratum is essential for neurite outgrowth, because HCM is no longer active when the material that binds to the polyornithine substratum has been removed by passage of the HCM over a series of culture dishes. However, this "depleted" HCM is still able to support the growth of nonneuronal cells. (iv) Most significantly, when neurons are cultured in whole HCM, the extent of neurite outgrowth is proportional to the amount of substratum-bound activity and not to the amount in solution, indicating that the substratum-bound form of the factor is more active. Previous observations [Collins, F. (1978) Dev. Biol. 65, 50-57] suggest that HCM promotes neurite outgrowth by increasing the adhesion between nerve cell surface extensions and the polyornithine-coated culture substratum. It is possible, therefore, that the factor in HCM that binds to the substratum possesses sites to which nerve cell surface components adhere.

Axons

The effect of medium pH on rate of growth, neurite formation and acetylcholinesterase activity in mouse neuroblastoma cells in culture.

Cell division, neurite formation and acetylcholinesterase activity were examined in a clone (NBA2) of mouse neuroblastoma cells maintained for up to 120 hours in medium with pH values between 6.6 and 8.0. Growth rate decreased as pH was reduced from 7.8 to 6.6. Generation time at pH 7.4 was 25 hours, while the rate of cell division was negligible at pH 6.6. The total number of cells at stationary phase was less at the lower pH values. Neurite formation was enhanced markedly as the pH was reduced from 7.4 to 6.6. Acetylcholinesterase activity was 5- to 8-fold greater in cells exposed to medium at pH 6.6 than in cells maintained in medium at pH 7.4. The reduction in the rate of cell division and increases in neurite formation and acetylcholinesterase activity at pH 6.6 were reversible upon exposure of the cells to pH 7.4 medium. Cell viability was greater than 90% at all medium pH values over a period of 120 hours. Uncloned T-59 mouse neuroblastoma cells were affected similarly by changes in pH. These results show that manipulation of the environmental pH can reversibly alter growth, neurite formation, and acetylcholinesterase activity of mouse neuroblastoma cells in culture.

Acetylcholinesterase

Immunofluorescent patterns of dissociated rat embryo cerebral cells during development in surface culture: distinctive reactions with neurite and perikaryon cell membranes.

The presence of antigenic determinants on surface cultures of dissociated cells from rat embryo cerebral tissue has been investigated with the immunofluorescence technique. Antisera raised in rabbits against mature mouse brain reacted with the embryonic cells and enabled the identification of two distinct populations of immunofluorescent cells. One population clearly distinguishable by its ring fluorescence was involved in early cellular reaggregation and neurite formation. A second population which displayed dispersed fluorescence over the whole cell, did not establish intercellular contacts for prolonged periods of time in culture. Indirect evidence suggests that after several days in culture a great portion of the latter population was found in close proximity to the early aggregate, to form an immunofluorescent-heterotypic aggregate. A second antiserum, raised against embryonic rat cerebral cells, displayed immunofluorescent labeling patterns similar to those observed with the mature mouse brain antiserum, when reacted with freshly dissociated cerebral cells. As the cells differentiated in surface culture, distinctive patterns of immunofluorescent reactions developed. Large neuronal cells were labeled on their neuritic cell membranes by the antiserum to adult brain but not by the antiserum to embryonic cells. The results suggest that the anti-mature brain serum possess a class of antibodies which is able to react with antigenic determinants localized specifically on the neuritic plasma membrane.

Animals

Neurotransmitter modulation, phosphodiesterase inhibitor effects, and cyclic AMP correlates of afterdischarge in peptidergic neurites.

The neuroendocrine bag cells in the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia generate a long-lasting synchronous afterdischarge upon brief stimulation of an afferent pathway. After this afterdischarge the cells become refractory to further synaptic stimulation. We find that synchrony, afterdischarge, and prolonged refractoriness are properties that can be expressed in the isolated asomatic neurites of the bag cells. We have distinguished two independent types of refractoriness. The first (type I) is seen as a failure of action potentials generated in the tips of bag cell neurites to invade cell somata. The second form of refractoriness (type II) controls the duration of afterdischarge such that stimuli after the first afterdischarge produce only very short afterdischarges or fail to elicit an afterdischarge. Type II refractoriness is sensitive to serotonin and certain of its analogues, and to dopamine and the methylxanthine phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Extracellularly applied serotonin suppresses an ongoing afterdischarge while dopamine and the phosphodiesterase inhibitors, when applied at the end of the first afterdischarge, generate a subsequent afterdischarge of long duration without further electrical stimulation. None of these compounds influenced the degree of type I refractoriness. We have shown that both serotonin and dopamine stimulate the formation of cyclic AMP in the bag cell clusters and in the pleurovisceral connectives and that the occurrence of an afterdischarge is associated with a specific increase in total cyclic AMP in bag cell bodies. Moreover, afterdischarges can be generated in unstimulated preparations by extracellular application of the cyclic AMP analogues, 8-benzylthio-cyclic AMP or 8-methylthio-cyclic AMP. Our data suggest that serotonin and/or dopamine may control bag cell activity and that activation of adenylate cyclase is linked to bag cell afterdischarge.

Action Potentials

Morphological changes in the neuritic growth cone and target neuron during synaptic junction development in culture.

Our object was to characterize the morphological changes occurring in pre- and postsynaptic elements during their initial contact and subsequent maturation into typical synaptic profiles. Neurons from superior cervical ganglia (SCG) of perinatal rats were freed of their supporting cells and established as isolated cells in culture. To these were added explants of embryonic rat thoracic spinal cord to allow interaction between outgrowing cord neurites and the isolated autonomic neurons. Time of initial contact was assessed by light microscopy; at timed intervals thereafter, cultures were fixed for electron microscopy. Upon contact, growth cone filopodia became extensively applied to the SCG neuronal plasmalemma and manifested numerous punctate regions in which the apposing plasma membranes were separated by only 7-10 nm. The Golgi apparatus of the target neuron hypertrophied, and its production of coated vesicles increased. Similar vesicles were seen in continuity with the SCG plasmalemma near the close contact site; their apparent contribution of a region of postsynaptic membrane with undercoating was considered to be the first definitive sign of synapse formation. Tracer work with peroxidase and ferritin confirmed that the traffic of coated vesicles within the neuronal soma is largely from Golgi region to somal surface. Subsequent to the appearance of postsynaptic density, the form and content of the growth cone was altered by the loss of filopodia and the appearance of synaptic vesicles which gradually became clustered opposite the postsynaptic density. As the synapse matured, synaptic vesicles increased in number, cleft width and content increased, presynaptic density appeared, branched membranous reticulum became greatly diminished, and most lysosomal structures disappeared. Coated vesicles continued to be associated with the postsynaptic membrane at all stages of maturation. The incorporation of Golgi-derived vesicles into discrete regions of the cell membrane could provide the mechanism for confining specific characteristics of the neuronal membrane to the synaptic region.

Animals

Differentiating limb tissue affects neurite growth in spinal cord cultures.

Limb bud mesenchyme enhances and directs the growth of tadpole spinal cord nerve fibers in tissue culture. This effect on elongating neurites may involve alterations in nerve-substratum interactions by the presence of undifferentiated target tissues. The relationship between nerve fibers and their potential innervation sites can explain directed nerve growth to the developing limb.

Age Factors

Migration of Schwann cells and wrapping of neurites in vitro: a function of protease activity (plasmin) in the growth medium.

In vitro conditions were defined under which Schwann cells, from a population of dissociated embryonic chicken spinal cord cells, migrate along the growing neuronal fibers and wrap bundles as well as individual axons, in a pattern similar to that found in a developing peripheral nervous system in vivo. The migration of Schwann cells and their wrapping of nerve fibers was found to be a function of plasmin activity in the growth medium. It was determined that at least one cell type among the spinal cord cells is producing plasminogen activator, the enzyme that activates the plasminogen that is a constituent of any serum. It is concluded that, to achieve wrapping of neurons by Schwann cells in culture, it is essential to have an active plasmin-generating system in the medium. It is hypothesized that the Schwann cell produces plasminogen activator. The possible role of both the Schwann cell and the plasminogen possible role of both the Schwann cell and the plasminogen activator in the formation of the neuromuscular junction is discussed.

Animals