PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Martin G. Hanson, Jr
AU  - Shiliang Shen
AU  - Anthony P. Wiemelt
AU  - F. Arthur McMorris
AU  - Ben A. Barres
TI  - Cyclic AMP Elevation Is Sufficient to Promote the Survival of Spinal Motor Neurons <em>In Vitro</em>
AID  - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.18-18-07361.1998
DP  - 1998 Sep 15
TA  - The Journal of Neuroscience
PG  - 7361--7371
VI  - 18
IP  - 18
4099  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/18/18/7361.short
4100  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/18/18/7361.full
SO  - J. Neurosci.1998 Sep 15; 18
AB  - The short-term survival of highly purified embryonic spinal motor neurons (SMNs) in culture can be promoted by many peptide trophic factors, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). We have asked whether these peptides are sufficient to promote the long-term survival of purified E15 SMNs. Contrary to previous reports, we find that when SMNs are cultured in serum-free medium containing a single peptide trophic factor only approximately one-third of the cells survive for 3 d in culture. When multiple factors are combined, additive effects on survival are observed transiently, but by 7 d of culture the majority of SMNs has died. Surprisingly, when cAMP levels are elevated, the majority of SMNs extend processes and survive for 1 week in culture in the absence of peptide trophic factors, even in low-density cultures. A combination of five peptide trophic factors, together with cAMP elevation, promotes the long-term survival of most of the SMNs in serum-free culture for 3 weeks. These findings provide useful culture conditions for studying the properties of SMNs and have implications for the treatment of motor neuron diseases.