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Establishment of highly enriched type‐2 astrocyte cultures and quantitative determination of intense glutamine synthetase activity in these cells
Author(s) -
Juurlink B. H. J.,
Hertz L.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.490300310
Subject(s) - astrocyte , glutamine synthetase , glial fibrillary acidic protein , glutamine , neuroglia , biochemistry , biology , cell culture , cell type , wild type , basal (medicine) , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , endocrinology , immunology , amino acid , immunohistochemistry , central nervous system , genetics , mutant , gene , insulin
We report procedures that allow one to develop and maintain cultures highly enriched in rat neopallial type‐2 astrocytes. Even after four weeks such cultures consist of more than 90% type‐2 astrocytes, ˜ −5% O‐2A progenitors and fewer than 2% type‐1 astrocytes. Their survival for more than 5 days requires the addition of conditioned medium from type‐1 astrocyte cultures. The type‐2 astrocytes have an intense glutamine synthetase activity whose basal level is sevenfold higher than in type‐1 astrocytes. The glutamine synthetase activities of both the type‐2 and type‐1 astrocytes are increased after exposure to cortisol. Thus, type‐2 astrocytes express the two quint‐essential astrocytic features: glial fibrillary acidic protein (previously reported by others) and glu‐tamine synthetase.