Biomaterial Database

Concanavalin A stimulates neuron-substratum adhesion and nerve fiber outgrowth in culture. 1985

J J DeGeorge, and N Slepecky, and S Carbonetto

Dorsal root ganglion neurons in culture proceed through a series of shape changes before growing nerve fibers. These shape changes involve: attachment to the substratum, extension of filopodia, and spreading of part of the cell to form broad lamellipodia. With the formation of lamellipodia, neurons adhere firmly to the substratum and retrogradely transport lectins (concanavalin A, wheat germ agglutinin) on their surfaces. In unspread neurons concanavalin A, but not wheat germ agglutinin, rapidly stimulates lamellipodium formation and neuron-substratum adhesion. Neurons treated with concanavalin A also have more, branched nerve fibers than untreated neurons, but otherwise appear similar. These effects of concanavalin A are concentration dependent, blocked by alpha-methyl-D-mannoside (100 mM), and are accompanied by receptor redistribution. Stimulation of lamellipodium extension by concanavalin A is inhibited by low temperature (4 degrees C), 2,4-dinitrophenol (0.2 mM), cytochalasin D (4 microM), or trifluoperazine (10 microM), but not by cycloheximide (360 microM) or colchicine (12.5 microM). Attachment of neurons to the culture substratum was affected little by these treatments. These results indicate differences in the neuron's metabolic requirements for simple attachment to the substratum and the early phases of nerve fiber growth. Moreover, they suggest a convenient system in which to study the cellular and biochemical events of rapid nerve fiber outgrowth in primary neuronal cultures.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008855	Microscopy, Electron, Scanning	Microscopy in which the object is examined directly by an electron beam scanning the specimen point-by-point. The image is constructed by detecting the products of specimen interactions that are projected above the plane of the sample, such as backscattered electrons. Although SCANNING TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY also scans the specimen point by point with the electron beam, the image is constructed by detecting the electrons, or their interaction products that are transmitted through the sample plane, so that is a form of TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY.	Scanning Electron Microscopy,Electron Scanning Microscopy,Electron Microscopies, Scanning,Electron Microscopy, Scanning,Electron Scanning Microscopies,Microscopies, Electron Scanning,Microscopies, Scanning Electron,Microscopy, Electron Scanning,Microscopy, Scanning Electron,Scanning Electron Microscopies,Scanning Microscopies, Electron,Scanning Microscopy, Electron
D009412	Nerve Fibers	Slender processes of NEURONS, including the AXONS and their glial envelopes (MYELIN SHEATH). Nerve fibers conduct nerve impulses to and from the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Cerebellar Mossy Fibers,Mossy Fibers, Cerebellar,Cerebellar Mossy Fiber,Mossy Fiber, Cerebellar,Nerve Fiber
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D011956	Receptors, Cell Surface	Cell surface proteins that bind signalling molecules external to the cell with high affinity and convert this extracellular event into one or more intracellular signals that alter the behavior of the target cell (From Alberts, Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2nd ed, pp693-5). Cell surface receptors, unlike enzymes, do not chemically alter their ligands.	Cell Surface Receptor,Cell Surface Receptors,Hormone Receptors, Cell Surface,Receptors, Endogenous Substances,Cell Surface Hormone Receptors,Endogenous Substances Receptors,Receptor, Cell Surface,Surface Receptor, Cell
D011975	Receptors, Mitogen	Glycoprotein molecules on the surface of B- and T-lymphocytes, that react with molecules of antilymphocyte sera, lectins, and other agents which induce blast transformation of lymphocytes.	Lectin Receptors,Mitogen Receptors,Receptors, Lectin,Mitogen Receptor,Receptor, Mitogen
D002448	Cell Adhesion	Adherence of cells to surfaces or to other cells.	Adhesion, Cell,Adhesions, Cell,Cell Adhesions
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D003078	Colchicine	A major alkaloid from Colchicum autumnale L. and found also in other Colchicum species. Its primary therapeutic use is in the treatment of gout, but it has been used also in the therapy of familial Mediterranean fever (PERIODIC DISEASE).	Colchicine, (+-)-Isomer,Colchicine, (R)-Isomer
D003208	Concanavalin A	A MANNOSE/GLUCOSE binding lectin isolated from the jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis). It is a potent mitogen used to stimulate cell proliferation in lymphocytes, primarily T-lymphocyte, cultures.