Axonal outgrowth of hippocampal neurons on micro-scale networks of polylysine-conjugated laminin

Microcontact printing was used to define an interconnected lattice network of polylysine-conjugated laminin, a protein-polypeptide ligate that is an e ffective promoter of neuron outgrowth on material surfaces. In the presence of serum proteins, rat hippocampal neurons selectively adhered to features of polylysine-conjugated laminin as narrow as 2.6 mum in width. Adhering n eurons extended long axonal processes, which precisely followed and did not deviate from the prescribed patterns, demonstrating that neurons respond t o this protein with high selectivity and that these techniques effectively provide long-range guidance of axonal outgrowth. Further examination of neu ron response under serum-free cell culture conditions demonstrated that the outgrowth-promoting activity of polylysine-conjugated laminin was attribut ed to biologically active laminin. Together, these results demonstrate that polylysine-conjugated laminin provides for high-precision guidance of neur on attachment and axon outgrowth on material surfaces in a serum-independen t manner. This ability to guide hippocampal neuron response in low-density, serum-free culture with high precision is valuable for the development of advanced, neuron-based devices. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights r eserved.