Interleukin‐2 Enhances Dendritic Development and Spinogenesis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

In this study, we investigated the effects of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) on dendritic filopodia, dendritic arborization, and spine maturation during the development of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. The cultured hippocampal neurons were transfected with F‐GFP (farnesylated enhanced green fluorescent protein) at DIV5 to display the subtle structure of dendrites, and were then treated with IL‐2 at various concentrations for different time before living cell image observation. We found that both the dendritic arborization and the length of dendrites per neuron at DIV7, DIV10, and DIV14 were increased under IL‐2 treatment in a dose‐dependent manner, and the strongest IL‐2 effects on both dendritic number and length were observed at DIV7. Also, there was a significant increase in the mobility of dendritic filopodia in neurons at DIV7 treated with 10 ng/mL IL‐2 for 48 hr from DIV5. In addition, IL‐2 caused an increase in spine density of neurons at DIV14 either treated with IL‐2 from DIV5 to DIV7 or from DIV5 to DIV14, but did not affect neurons treated from DIV12 to DIV14. These results indicate that IL‐2 affects the dendritic development and spinogenesis of cultured hippocampal neurons, especially during the early developmental stage. Anat Rec, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

4-PBA通过抑制内质网应激减轻原代海马神经元的损伤

目的:探讨内质网应激后原代海马神经元树突棘密度及突触蛋白表达的变化,以及通过内质网应激分子伴侣4-苯基丁酸(4-phenylbutyric acid,4-PBA)抑制内质网应激对这种神经元损伤的抑制作用。方法:原代培养新生大鼠海马神经元,将表达增强型绿色荧光蛋白的质粒转染到原代培养5～7 d(DIV 5～7)的大鼠海马神经元内持续培养,DIV 20时分为对照组、衣霉素(tunicamycin,Tm)处理组和Tm+4-PBA预处理组(Tm处理前1 h给予4-PBA),采用Western blot法检测内质网应激标志蛋白Bi P和突触蛋白的表达水平,激光共聚焦显微镜下观察神经元,分析树突棘密度,采用MTT法分析细胞活力。结果:Tm处理后使Bi P蛋白水平明显升高,而4-PBA预处理使Bi P蛋白水平显著下降(P 0. 05)。Tm引起的原代海马神经元树突棘密度下降及突触蛋白的表达下降能够被4-PBA抑制。Tm引起的细胞活力下降可被4-PBA抑制。结论:Tm能够通过诱导内质网应激而引起原代海马神经元树突棘密度下降及突触蛋白表达下降,而提前给予4-PBA预处理可明显降低内质网应激反应,抑制树突棘密度下降及突触蛋白表达下降,从而减轻原代海马神经元的损伤。     

Vomeronasal neurons promote synaptic formation on dendritic spines but not dendritic shafts in primary culture of accessory olfactory bulb neurons

To investigate the morphological changes of accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) neurons arising from pheromonal signals, a coculture system of AOB neurons and vomeronasal (VN) neurons had been established. Our previous study indicates that under coculture condition, the density of dendritic spines of an AOB neuron is less and the individual spine-head volume is larger than those under monoculture condition. In this study, to determine whether these differences in the dendrites of AOB neurons reflect the differences in synapse formation and synaptic properties, we observed these cultured cells by electron microscopy. Various synapses were observed under each culture condition. Synapses were classified on the basis of their postsynaptic structure and the size of postsynaptic density (PSD) was measured. Under the coculture condition with VN neurons, synapses on dendritic spines, which formed between AOB neurons, were observed frequently. In contrast, many synapses were formed on dendritic shafts under monoculture condition. The PSD of asymmetrical synapses on the spines under coculture condition was larger than that under monoculture condition. Moreover, some dendrodendritic reciprocal synapses were found only in coculture. We confirmed synapse formation between VN axons and AOB dendrites by immunohistochemical electron microscopy; thus, the characteristics of synapses between AOB neurons are considered to be modified by the synaptic contacts with VN axons.     

Geometry of dendritic spines affects calcium dynamics in hippocampal neurons: theory and experiments.

The role of dendritic spine morphology in the regulation of the spatiotemporal distribution of free intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was examined in a unique axial-symmetrical model that focuses on spine-dendrite interactions, and the simulations of the model were compared with the behavior of real dendritic spines in cultured hippocampal neurons. A set of nonlinear differential equations describes the behavior of a spherical dendritic spine head, linked to a dendrite via a cylindrical spine neck. Mechanisms for handling of calcium (including internal stores, buffers, and efflux pathways) are placed in both the dendrites and spines. In response to a calcium surge, the magnitude and time course of the response in both the spine and the parent dendrite vary as a function of the length of the spine neck such that a short neck increases the magnitude of the response in the dendrite and speeds up the recovery in the spine head. The generality of the model, originally constructed for a case of release of calcium from stores, was tested in simulations of fast calcium influx through membrane channels and verified the impact of spine neck on calcium dynamics. Spatiotemporal distributions of [Ca2+]i, measured in individual dendritic spines of cultured hippocampal neurons injected with Calcium Green-1, were monitored with a confocal laser scanning microscope. Line scans of spines and dendrites at a <1-ms time resolution reveal simultaneous transient rises in [Ca2+]i in spines and their parent dendrites after application of caffeine or during spontaneous calcium transients associated with synaptic or action potential discharges. The magnitude of responses in the individual compartments, spine-dendrite disparity, and the temporal distribution of [Ca2+]i were different for spines with short and long necks, with the latter being more independent of the dendrite, in agreement with prediction of the model.     

Differences in development and cellular composition between neuronal cultures of rat accessory and main olfactory bulbs

We previously established a primary culture system of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) to investigate the functional roles of individual types of neuron in pheromonal signal processing. However, the detailed characteristics of cultured AOB neurons were not yet apparent. In the present study, we address the cytological aspects of cultured AOB neurons using immunocytochemical staining methods. Cultured AOB neurons were compared with cultured main olfactory bulb (MOB) neurons in neuronal composition, maturational time course, and cell size. The number of total neurons, measured by microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) immunostaining, progressively decreased, and glutamic acid decarboxylase positive (GAD⁺) interneurons were scarcely changed in their number in both AOB and MOB cultures over the culture periods. In contrast, the number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive (TH⁺) neurons in AOB cultures showed a slight, but significant, increase over time in culture, while those in MOB cultures remarkably decreased. The numbers of total neurons and GAD⁺ neurons were significantly greater in AOB cultures than in MOB cultures at all investigated time points. However, the numbers of TH⁺ neurons were lower at 7 days in vitro (DIV) and greater at 21 DIV in AOB cultures than in MOB cultures. The somatic sizes of all types of neurons at 14 DIV were significantly larger in AOB cultures than in MOB cultures. Furthermore, the frequency distributions of somatic sizes of total, GAD⁺, and TH⁺ neurons were significantly different between AOB and MOB cultures. These subtle differences in vitro may reflect in vivo differences between the AOB and MOB.     

NMDA受体在培养海马神经元树突树上的表面表达及定位

目的　研究NMDA受体在不同发育阶段的培养大鼠海马神经元的表面表达以及在树突结构上的定位。　方法　构建绿荧光蛋白 (GFP)标记的NMDA受体NR1a亚单位的表达载体 (GFP NR1a) ,转染原代培养 5d的大鼠海马神经元 ,用抗GFP抗体和Cy3交联的二抗染色活细胞表面的受体簇。结合青荧光蛋白 (CFP)的共表达突出神经元的结构细节 ,观察表面NMDA受体簇的分布。　结果　GFP NR1a转染的神经元能表达点状、且分布于全细胞的绿荧光NMDA受体簇 ,在成熟神经元的树突上多为表面受体簇。培养 7d和培养 17d的转染神经元树突表面的NMDA受体簇密度并无显著差异。另外 ,培养 7d的海马神经元 ,表面NMDA受体簇几乎都位于树突干上 ,而树突丝上则罕见 ;培养 2周后 ,约一半的NMDA受体簇分布于树突棘。　结论　表面NMDA受体簇的分布具有树突结构相关的特异性 ,尤其是发现在发育早期NMDA受体簇罕见于树突丝 ,却已广泛分布于树突干上 ,且密度相当于成熟神经元。提示在突触形成过程中NMDA受体可能是以预先表达于树突干表面的受体簇形式被新形成的突触所征募     

Blockade of neuronal activity alters spine maturation of dentate granule cells but not their dendritic arborization

Organotypic co-cultures of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus were examined to determine the role of the entorhinal fibers in the dendritic development and formation of spines of dentate granule cells. Quantitative analysis of Golgi-impregnated granule cells in single hippocampal cultures and co-cultures with the entorhinal cortex revealed that the presence of entorhinal fibers promoted the elongation and differentiation of the target granule cell dendrites. This was accompanied by an increase in the total number of spines. The contribution of neuronal activity to this afferent-mediated dendritic development was tested by chronic application of the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin for 20 days in vitro. Tracing with biocytin showed that the formation of the entorhinohippocampal pathway was unaffected by the blockade of neuronal activity. The dendritic arbor of cultured granule cells and the number of dendritic spines did not differ between tetrodotoxin-treated slices and untreated controls. However, there was a significant increase in the relative number of filiform spines on granule cell dendrites in tetrodotoxin-treated co-cultures. Such filiform spines are a characteristic feature of immature neurons. These results suggest the cooperation of two mechanisms in the dendritic development of dentate granule cells: the specific afferent-mediated dendritic arborization and the activity-dependent maturation of spines.     

Density and morphology of dendritic spines in mouse neocortex

Dendritic spines of pyramidal cells are the main postsynaptic targets of cortical excitatory synapses and as such, they are fundamental both in neuronal plasticity and for the integration of excitatory inputs to pyramidal neurons. There is significant variation in the number and density of dendritic spines among pyramidal cells located in different cortical areas and species, especially in primates. This variation is believed to contribute to functional differences reported among cortical areas. In this study, we analyzed the density of dendritic spines in the motor, somatosensory and visuo-temporal regions of the mouse cerebral cortex. Over 17,000 individual spines on the basal dendrites of layer III pyramidal neurons were drawn and their morphologies compared among these cortical regions. In contrast to previous observations in primates, there was no significant difference in the density of spines along the dendrites of neurons in the mouse. However, systematic differences in spine dimensions (spine head size and spine neck length) were detected, whereby the largest spines were found in the motor region, followed by those in the somatosensory region and those in visuo-temporal region.     

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor induces rapid morphological changes in dendritic spines of olfactory bulb granule cells in cultured slices through the modulation of glutamatergic signaling

While the acute physiological effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been well demonstrated, little is known regarding possible morphological effects that occur within a short period of time. The acute effects of BDNF on dendritic spine morphology were examined in granule cells in cultured main olfactory bulb slices. Organotypic slices prepared from 7-day-old rats were cultured for 1 day, and BDNF was applied at varying time points prior to fixation. Granule cell dendrites were labeled with a membrane dye and observed with a confocal laser scanning microscope. The addition of BDNF into the culture medium 6 h before fixation decreased the mean diameter of the dendritic processes (filopodia/spines), but the length and density of the processes were not affected. Both filopodia/spines in the external plexiform layer and those in the granule cell layer exhibited similar changes. Considering the slow penetration into the slices, BDNF was then applied to the top of each slice. When applied 1 h before fixation, 5 ng and 0.5 ng of BDNF induced the same changes in the external plexiform layer and the granule cell layer, respectively. The changes became detectable as early as 30 min when 50 ng of BDNF was applied. The pretreatment with tetanus toxin or an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist abolished the acute effects of BDNF on spine morphology.These results indicate that BDNF can alter spine morphology within a shorter period of time than previously observed and that the effects are mediated by enhanced glutamatergic signaling.     

Apolipoprotein E isoform-specific regulation of dendritic spine morphology in apolipoprotein E transgenic mice and Alzheimer's disease patients

Dendritic spines are postsynaptic sites of excitatory input in the mammalian nervous system. Apolipoprotein (apo) E participates in the transport of plasma lipids and in the redistribution of lipids among cells. A role for apoE is implicated in regeneration of synaptic circuitry after neural injury. The apoE4 allele is a major risk factor for late-onset familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is associated with a poor outcome after brain injury. ApoE isoforms are suggested to have differential effects on neuronal repair mechanisms. In vitro studies have demonstrated the neurotrophic properties of apoE3 on neurite outgrowth. We have investigated the influence of apoE genotype on neuronal cell dendritic spine density in mice and in human postmortem tissue. In order to compare the morphology of neurons developing under different apoE conditions, gene gun labeling studies of dendritic spines of dentate gyrus (DG) granule cells of the hippocampus were carried out in wild-type (WT), human apoE3, human apoE4 expressing transgenic mice and apoE knockout (KO) mice; the same dendritic spine parameters were also assessed in human postmortem DG from individuals with and without the apoE4 gene. Quantitative analysis of dendritic spine length, morphology, and number was carried out on these mice at 3 weeks, 1 and 2 years of age. Human apoE3 and WT mice had a higher density of dendritic spines than human E4 and apoE KO mice in the 1 and 2 year age groups (P<0.0001), while at 3 weeks there were no differences between the groups. These age dependent differences in the effects of apoE isoforms on neuronal integrity may relate to the increased risk of dementia in aged individuals with the apoE4 allele. Significantly in human brain, apoE4 dose correlated inversely with dendritic spine density of DG neurons cell in the hippocampus of both AD (P=0.0008) and aged normal controls (P=0.0015). Our findings provide one potential explanation for the increased cognitive decline seen in aged and AD patients expressing apoE4.     

β淀粉样蛋白1-42对大鼠海马神经元树突棘的影响

目的:研究β淀粉样蛋白1-42(Aβ1-42)对于原代培养的大鼠海马神经元树突棘形态和数量的影响.方法:将原代培养的新生大鼠海马神经元随机分为对照组(control)和Aβ1.42处理组(Aβ1-42),用浓度为500 nmol/L的Aβ1-42处理细胞,应用免疫荧光染色检测树突棘上大脑发育调节蛋白(drebrin)的...     

Automated quantification of dendritic spine density and spine head diameter in medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens

Dendritic spines are postsynaptic specializations thought to regulate the strength of synaptic transmission and play a critical role in neuronal plasticity. While changes in dendritic spine density can be pharmacologically- or environmentally-induced, the widespread utility of this important measure of synaptic plasticity in vivo has been hampered by the labor-intensive nature, and potential for bias and inconsistency inherent in manual spine counting. Here we report a method for obtaining high-resolution, three-dimensional confocal images of accumbens spiny neurons labeled with a diolistically delivered lipophilic fluorescence dye (DiI) that permits automated analysis of spine density and spine head diameter. The automated quantification was verified by manual counts of spine density and electron microscopic measures of spine head diameter. The density of spines was relatively constant over 2nd to 4th order dendrites within a neuron, and spine density was normally distributed. The mean spine density (2.68 spines/mum; N = 45 neurons) was higher than previous reports, due in part to analysis in three rather than two dimensions and the capacity of lipophilic dyes to fill very thin spines. The distribution of spine head diameters was continuous and skewed to the right (mean = 0.43 mum; N = 8,891), and ~25% of all spines were thin and filopodia-like (相似文献   

酸敏感离子通道对海马神经元树突发育的影响

目的 探讨酸敏感离子通道（ASICs）在海马神经元树突发育中的作用。方法 在体外培养第5天的原代海马神经元中转染定位于膜上的绿色荧光蛋白（F-GFP）,随后在神经元培养液中加入ASICs拮抗剂Amiloride和ASIC1a 选择性拮抗剂Psalmotoxin 1（PcTX1）抑制ASICs的功能,观察体外培养8d和14d这两个时间点海马神经元的树突生长、分支复杂程度。结果Amiloride（10-5mol/L）和PcTX1（1∶20 000稀释）处理3d对海马神经元树突分支总长度、树突分支总数均无显著影响,表明在海马神经元发育早期短时间抑制ASICs功能不影响树突发育。Amiloride（10-5mol/L）处理9d可以显著降低树突分支总长度和树突分支总数; PcTX1（1∶20 000稀释）处理9d也可以显著降低树突分支总长度,但对树突分支总数无显著影响。实验结果表明,长时间抑制ASICs功能会影响树突发育。结论 ASICs参与调节树突的发育。     

Newborn granule cells in the ageing dentate gyrus

The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus generates neurons throughout life, but adult neurogenesis exhibits a marked age-dependent decline. Although the decrease in the rate of neurogenesis has been extensively documented in the ageing hippocampus, the specific characteristics of dentate granule cells born in such a continuously changing environment have received little attention. We have used retroviral labelling of neural progenitor cells of the adult mouse dentate gyrus to study morphological properties of neurons born at different ages. Dendritic spine density was measured to estimate glutamatergic afferent connectivity. Fully mature neurons born at the age of 2 months display ∼2.3 spines μm⁻¹ and maintain their overall morphology and spine density in 1-year-old mice. Surprisingly, granule cells born in 10-month-old mice, at which time the rate of neurogenesis has decreased by ∼40-fold, reach a density of dendritic spines similar to that of neurons born in young adulthood. Therefore, in spite of the sharp decline in cell proliferation, differentiation and overall neuronal number, the ageing hippocampus presents a suitable environment for new surviving neurons to reach a high level of complexity, comparable to that of all other dentate granule cells.     

Cortical regulation of dopamine depletion-induced dendritic spine loss in striatal medium spiny neurons

The proximate cause of Parkinson's disease is striatal dopamine depletion. Although no overt toxicity to striatal neurons has been reported in Parkinson's disease, one of the consequences of striatal dopamine loss is a decrease in the number of dendritic spines on striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Dendrites of these neurons receive cortical glutamatergic inputs onto the dendritic spine head and dopaminergic inputs from the substantia nigra onto the spine neck. This synaptic arrangement suggests that dopamine gates corticostriatal glutamatergic drive onto spines. Using triple organotypic slice cultures composed of ventral mesencephalon, striatum, and cortex of the neonatal rat, we examined the role of the cortex in dopamine depletion-induced dendritic spine loss in MSNs. The striatal dopamine innervation was lesioned by treatment of the cultures with the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) or by removing the mesencephalon. Both MPP+ and mesencephalic ablation decreased MSN dendritic spine density. Analysis of spine morphology revealed that thin spines were preferentially lost after dopamine depletion. Removal of the cortex completely prevented dopamine depletion-induced spine loss. These data indicate that the dendritic remodeling of MSNs seen in parkinsonism occurs secondary to increases in corticostriatal glutamatergic drive, and suggest that modulation of cortical activity may be a useful therapeutic strategy in Parkinson's disease.     

Cortical area and species differences in dendritic spine morphology

Dendritic spines receive most excitatory inputs in the neocortex and are morphologically very diverse. Recent evidence has demonstrated linear relationships between the size and length of dendritic spines and important features of its synaptic junction and time constants for calcium compartmentalisation. Therefore, the morphologies of dendritic spines can be directly interpreted functionally. We sought to explore whether there were potential differences in spine morphologies between areas and species that could reflect potential functional differences. For this purpose, we reconstructed and measured thousands of dendritic spines from basal dendrites of layer III pyramidal neurons from mouse temporal and occipital cortex and from human temporal cortex. We find systematic differences in spine densities, spine head size and spine neck length among areas and species. Human spines are systematically larger and longer and exist at higher densities than those in mouse cortex. Also, mouse temporal spines are larger than mouse occipital spines. We do not encounter any correlations between the size of the spine head and its neck length. Our data suggests that the average synaptic input is modulated according to cortical area and differs among species. We discuss the implications of these findings for common algorithms of cortical processing.     

Partial kindling induces neurogenesis,activates astrocytes and alters synaptic morphology in the dentate gyrus of freely moving adult rats

A partial kindling procedure was used to investigate the correlation between focal seizure development and changes in dendritic spine morphology, ongoing neurogenesis and reactive astrogliosis in the adult rat dentate gyrus (DG). The processes of neurogenesis and astrogliosis were investigated using markers for doublecortin (DCX), 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Our data demonstrate that mild focal seizures induce a complex series of cellular events in the DG one day after cessation of partial rapid kindling stimulation consisting (in comparison to control animals that were electrode implanted but unkindled), firstly, of an increase in the number of postmitotic BrdU labeled cells, and secondly, an increase in the number of DCX labeled cells, mainly in subgranular zone. Ultrastructural changes were examined using qualitative electron microscope analysis and 3-D reconstructions of both dendritic spines and postsynaptic densities. Typical features of kindling in comparison to control tissue included translocation of mitochondria to the base of the dendritic spine stalks; a migration of multivesicular bodies into mushroom dendritic spines, and most notably formation of “giant” spinules originating from the head of the spines of DG neurons. These morphological alterations arise at seizure stages 2–3 (focal seizures) in the absence of signs of the severe generalized seizures that are generally recognized as potentially harmful for neuronal cells. We suggest that an increase in ongoing neurogenesis, reactive astrogliosis and dendritic spine reorganization in the DG is the crucial step in the chain of events leading to the progressive development of seizure susceptibility in hippocampal circuits.     

Chronic membrane depolarization-induced morphological alteration of developing neurons

During development of CNS, young neurons experience various stimuli, and thereafter differentiate to mature neurons in an activity-dependent manner. Membrane depolarization acts as an inducer of excitability and various signals in the neurons, which can be used as a model of neuronal activity. However, the mechanisms of the influence of membrane depolarization on neuronal differentiation have not been fully understood. Therefore, we investigated the effect of membrane depolarization on morphology of spines and generation of valid electrical activity. Using rat hippocampal cultures treated from the plating day with or without high KCl (35 mM, termed HK), we directly observed living neurons transfected with green fluorescence protein-expressing plasmid through a two-photon laser scanning confocal microscope and electrophysiological recording using a patch-clamp technique. Compared with controls, the neurons cultured with HK for 3 days in vitro (DIV) showed marked filopodia-like protrusions as well as an increase in the number of spines, but those cultured with HK for 6 DIV profoundly lost these spines, resulting in a small number of fine filopodia-like protrusions proximally and on the cell body, and a smooth surface of distal dendrites. Electrophysiological recordings showed no spontaneous responses in 6 DIV HK-treated neurons. Moreover, addition of an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist to HK-treated neurons blocked the shrinkage and decrease in the number of filopodia-like protrusions significantly. These findings suggest that membrane depolarization of developing neurons induces synaptogenesis in the early stages of development but chronic treatment with HK causes pathological changes through NMDAR, and that there may be alternative mechanisms for the physiological differentiation of neurons in later developmental stages.     

Dendritic spines disappear with chilling but proliferate excessively upon rewarming of mature hippocampus

More dendritic spine synapses occur on mature neurons in hippocampal slices by 2 h of incubation in vitro, than in perfusion-fixed hippocampus. What conditions initiate this spinogenesis and how rapidly do the spines begin to proliferate on mature neurons? To address these questions, CA1 field of the hippocampus neurons expressing green fluorescent protein in living slices from mature mice were imaged with two-photon microscopy. Spines disappeared and dendrites were varicose immediately after slice preparation in ice-cold artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). Electron microscopy (EM) revealed disrupted dendritic cytoplasm, enlarged or free-floating postsynaptic densities, and excessive axonal endocytosis. Upon warming dendritic varicosities shrank and spines rapidly reappeared within a few minutes illustrating the remarkable resilience of mature hippocampal neurons in slices. When membrane impermeant sucrose was substituted for NaCl in ACSF dendrites remained spiny at ice-cold temperatures and EM revealed less disruption. Nevertheless, spine number and length increased within 30 min in warm ACSF even when the extracellular calcium concentration was zero and synaptic transmission was blocked. When slices were first recovered for several hours and then chilled in 6 degrees C ACSF many spines disappeared and the dendrites became varicose. Upon re-warming varicosities shrank and spines reemerged in the same position from which they disappeared. In addition, new spines formed and spines were longer suggesting that chilling, not the initial injury from slicing, caused the spines to disappear while re-warming triggered the spine proliferation on mature neurons. The new spines might be a substrate for neuronal recovery of function, when neurons have been chilled or exposed to other traumatic conditions that disrupt ionic homeostasis.     

Cerebellar macroneurons in microexplant cell culture: Ultrastructural morphology

Microexplant cell cultures of fetal rat cerebellum contain essentially monolayer networks of Purkinje cells, occasional granule cells and neurons from the deep nuclei. The neurons and occasional filament-packed glial cells develop on top of a sheet of flattened, non-neuronal cells. In the absence of extrinsic input to the cerebellum and greatly reduced numbers of granule cells, the Purkinje cells develop a stunted and non-oriented dendritic arbor similar to that observed in agranular cerebella. The Purkinje cell dendritic branches, however, are spine-covered. Although the spines are not enveloped by glia and are only rarely contacted by a presynaptic bouton, most spines display a patch of electron-dense material resembling a postsynaptic membrane specialization. The Purkinje cells develop synaptic interactions among themselves and with granule cells. The ultrastructural morphology of boutons derived from both Purkinje cells and large neurons of the deep nuclei, identified after intracellular injection of horseradish peroxidase, is consistent with that observed in vivo.The present study indicates that cerebellar Purkinje cells survive and differentiate in a culture system in which individual neurons are accessible for electrophysiological and morphological analyses.