Axon Formation Follows Dendritic Differentiation in the Cultured Ventral Spinal Cord Neurons of Rat / 대한해부학회지

ABSTRACT

To understand the early cellular differentiation of neurons, we studied the differentiation of ventral spinal cord (VSC) neurons in culture. Immunofluorescence techniques with myelin associated protein 2 (MAP2) and phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain were used with phase contrast microscopy. VSC neurons were best grown and differentiated on the coverslips coated with polyethylenimine or poly-L-Lysine. During 3 days of culture, VSC neurons changed from a round cell with no neurites to multipolar neurons with an axon and dendrites. The differentiating VSC neurons could be classified into 4 types based on the shape and length of processes. The process with axonal character, that is MAP2 negative and phosphorylated neurofilament positive, was first identified at the tip of dendritic process when one or more processes grew out. Our results suggest that the formation of an axon in VSC neurons may follow the formation of dendrites.