2-MERCAPTOETHANOL IS A SURVIVAL FACTOR FOR OLFACTORY, CORTICAL AND HIPPOCAMPAL-NEURONS IN SHORT-TERM DISSOCIATED CELL-CULTURE

A medium originally designed for lymphocyte growth promoted robust sur vival of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in short-term (4-day), diss ociated cell culture. The key ingredient for survival of neurons in bo th serum and serum-free conditions was 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME). Enhan cement of survival may be thiol-mediated because two other thiol compo unds, 2-mercaptoethylamine and monothioglycerol, also increased ORN su rvival. Addition of 2-ME also signicantly increased survival of embryo nic cortical and hippocampal neurons in a serum-free medium, and embry onic cortical neurons in a serum-containing medium. After plating and growth in a serum-free medium containing 2-ME, survival of all three t ypes of neurons was equivalent to, or greater than, survival in serum- containing media. Thus, thiols such as 2-ME promote the survival of mu ltiple types of neurons in short-term cell culture.