TY - JOUR
T1 - Morphology of neurons cultured from subdivisions of the mouse cochlear nucleus
AU - Fitzakerley, Janet L.
AU - Schweitzer, Laura
PY - 2003/2/1
Y1 - 2003/2/1
N2 - This study was designed to characterize the dendritic organization of cochlear nucleus (CN) cells grown in primary cell culture and to assess differences among cultures grown from different regions of CN. Cultures were prepared from postnatal mice and processed using microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) immunohistochemistry. CN neurons were successfully cultured from preparations grown from either the anteroventral subdivision of the nucleus (AVCN), the posterior region [posteroventral (PVCN) and dorsal (DCN) subnuclei], or the whole CN, although the cultured neurons did not exhibit complex dendritic patterns characteristic of CN neurons in vivo. Neurons cultured from the entire nucleus exhibited an increased rate of survival compared to those cultured from either the anterior or posterior regions, although similar types of cells were observed in all preparations. The majority of cultured CN neurons were GABA-positive and had soma areas that were similar to the areas of immature GABAergic neurons measured in CN sections. Small cells (soma areas ≤60 μm2) with one to three symmetrically organized dendrites and large non-GABA-ergic cells (≥120 μm2) were also present in significant numbers. Overall, CN cultures consisted of a heterogeneous population of neurons that had less elaborate dendritic organizations than cells of corresponding size that have been described in adult animals in vivo.
AB - This study was designed to characterize the dendritic organization of cochlear nucleus (CN) cells grown in primary cell culture and to assess differences among cultures grown from different regions of CN. Cultures were prepared from postnatal mice and processed using microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) immunohistochemistry. CN neurons were successfully cultured from preparations grown from either the anteroventral subdivision of the nucleus (AVCN), the posterior region [posteroventral (PVCN) and dorsal (DCN) subnuclei], or the whole CN, although the cultured neurons did not exhibit complex dendritic patterns characteristic of CN neurons in vivo. Neurons cultured from the entire nucleus exhibited an increased rate of survival compared to those cultured from either the anterior or posterior regions, although similar types of cells were observed in all preparations. The majority of cultured CN neurons were GABA-positive and had soma areas that were similar to the areas of immature GABAergic neurons measured in CN sections. Small cells (soma areas ≤60 μm2) with one to three symmetrically organized dendrites and large non-GABA-ergic cells (≥120 μm2) were also present in significant numbers. Overall, CN cultures consisted of a heterogeneous population of neurons that had less elaborate dendritic organizations than cells of corresponding size that have been described in adult animals in vivo.
KW - Auditory brainstem
KW - GABA
KW - Hearing
KW - Immunohistochemistry
KW - Mouse (C57/BL6; CBA/J)
KW - Primary cell culture
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037295112&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0037295112&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 12596035
AN - SCOPUS:0037295112
VL - 311
SP - 145
EP - 158
JO - Cell and Tissue Research
JF - Cell and Tissue Research
SN - 0302-766X
IS - 2
ER -