Selective promotion of neuronal adhesion by target tissue-derived materials

Chick sympathetic nerves densely innervate expansor secundariorum muscle, but not skeletal muscle. By contrast, parasympathetic ciliary nerves innervate striated muscle, but no parasympathetic innervation occurs in expansor secundariorum muscle. The present study revealed accordingly that sympathetic ganglionic neurons from chick embryos adhered firmly to a dish precoated with expansor secundariorum muscle-conditioned medium (ECM), but not to one precoated with skeletal muscle-conditioned medium (SCM), while parasympathetic ciliary ganglionic neurons adhered to a dish precoated with SCM, but not to one precoated with ECM. These results indicate that there are certain materials which mediate specific adhesion between neurons and their target cells.