SURVIVAL AND DIFFERENTIATION OF PURIFIED EMBRYONIC CHICK RETINAL GANGLION-CELLS CULTURED AT LOW-DENSITY IN A CHEMICALLY-DEFINED MEDIUM

Both, a tailored chemically defined nutrient medium (BP5) and a sandwi ch culture sustain the survival for more than a week and allow the dif ferentiation of embryonic chick retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) seeded a t low density. Purification of RGCs from 7-11-day old embryos was acco mplished by panning using specific anti-chicken Thy-1 antibodies immob ilized in plaques. Yield of RGCs was less than 1% of the calculated nu mber of these cells in the used retinas. This result agrees with the s carce expression of Thy-1 in immature retina, accordingly, the most ma ture RGCs are those probably selected by the panning. This assumption obtained support on the expression of gangliotetraoxylgangliosides (GT OC), that characterize the differentiated retinal neurons. Thus, the o utgrowth of processes observed in cultured cells, might imply axonal r egeneration in mature neurons. This manageable RGC culture method appr oaches a system for studying the in vitro trophic factors and substrat a which affect axonal regrowth in central nervous system cells. (C) 19 97 Elsevier Science B.V.