Elsevier

Developmental Brain Research

Volume 88, Issue 2, 29 September 1995, Pages 212-219
Developmental Brain Research

Research report
The influence of target and non-target brain regions on the development of mid-brain dopaminergic neurons in organotypic slice culture

https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-3806(95)00112-QGet rights and content

Abstract

The development and regeneration of rat dopaminergic neurons of the ventral mesencephalon was studied in organotypic slice cultures. Single ventral mesencephalon cultures and co-cultures of ventral mesencephalon with striatum (a target region) or cerebellum (a non-target region) were prepared from postnatal day 1 Wistar rats. Cultures were processed for tyrosine hydroxylase and glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity, at two day intervals, for an overall incubation period of 20 days. Analysis of these cultures revealed that the striatal target tissue, exerted neither a trophic nor a tropic influence on the tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons. In both single and co-cultures, tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurites projected radially from the ventral mesencephalon slice. However, in striatal co-cultures, tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurites were seen penetrating the striatal slice, whereas in cerebellar co-cultures no tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurites entered the cerebellar tissue. Glial fibrillary acidic protein positive cells actively migrated from the tissue sections, however tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurite outgrowth was not guided by these glial cells. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurites terminated once they had penetrated the striatal slice. This retardation of neurite growth by a target region could be important in establishing and reinforcing synaptic connections in the developing nigro-striatal pathway.

References (33)

  • M. Tessier-Lavigne

    Axon guidance by molecular gradients

    Curr. Opin. Neurobiol.

    (1992)
  • J. Bolz et al.

    Formation of target-specific neuronal projections in organotypic slice cultures from rat visual cortex

    Nature

    (1990)
  • J. Bolz et al.

    Formation of specific afferent connections in organotypic slice cultures from rat visual cortex cocultured with lateral geniculate nucleus

    J. Neurosci.

    (1992)
  • P. Caroni et al.

    Two membrane protein fractions from rat central myelin with inhibitory properties for neurite growth and fibroblast spreading

    J. Cell Biol.

    (1988)
  • R. Dal Toso et al.

    Development and survival of neurons in dissociated fetal mesencephalic serum-free cell cultures: 1. Effects of cell density and of an adult mammalian striatal-derived neuronotrophic factor (SDNF)

    J. Neurosci.

    (1988)
  • S. Denis-Donini et al.

    Specific influence of striatal target neurons on the in vitro outgrowth of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurites: a morphological quantitative study

    J. Neurosci.

    (1983)
  • Cited by (29)

    • Getting connected in the dopamine system

      2008, Progress in Neurobiology
      Citation Excerpt :

      The dorsal midbrain contains Slit1, which may explain the observation that the DM instructs mdDA axons to follow a rostral trajectory towards the forebrain (Fig. 4) (Nakamura et al., 2000). In addition, the caudal midbrain expresses high levels of Slit3, which may mediate the repulsive effect this brain region exerts on extending mdDA axons in vitro (Fig. 4) (Gates et al., 2004; Holmes et al., 1995). Based on these results, it is tempting to speculate that the combined actions of Slit1 and Slit3 prevent mdDA fibers from aberrantly extending in dorsal and caudal directions thereby contributing to the characteristic rostroventral trajectory of the MFB.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text