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Coculture of rat embryonic proprioceptive sensory neurons and myotubes
Author(s) -
Copray Sjef,
Liem Robert,
MantinghOtter Ietje,
Brouwer Nieske
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4598(199611)19:11<1401::aid-mus4>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - myogenesis , neuroscience , sensory system , proprioception , neurotrophin , neurotrophic factors , neurite , biology , embryonic stem cell , regeneration (biology) , microbiology and biotechnology , anatomy , myocyte , in vitro , receptor , genetics , gene
With the aim to study the cellular mechanisms underlying the process of muscle spindle (re)generation, dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons derived from 16‐day rat embryos were cocultured with developing myotubes in a compartmentalized culture device. To accomplish the selective survival and neurite formation of the proprioceptive subpopulation, the neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin‐3, was added to the culture medium. It appeared that the proprioceptive DRG neurons could develop specialized, Ia afferent terminal‐like contacts with myotubes. However, these interactions were scarce and did not result in the induction of differentiation of the contacted myotubes into intrafusal fibers as normally occurs during in vivo development. The present coculture setup apparently lacks appropriate regulatory factors essential for the proper matching of sensory axons and intrafusal fiber precursors and the induction of a functional sensory myoneural connection. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.