Attachment to the substrate is essential for both survival and differentiation of various kinds of cells, such as neurons and epithelial cells. We recently found a small synthetic molecule, adhesamine, which boosts adhesion and growth of mammalian cells. In the present study, we applied adhesamine to primary cultured hippocampal neuronal cells and compared its effects with those of PLL (poly-L-lysine), which is widely used as a substrate for cell cultures. Neurons grown on adhesamine-coated coverslips survived for up to 1 month without a feeder layer of glial cells, and had greater viability than cells grown on PLL-coated coverslips. Morphological analysis revealed that neurons cultured with adhesamine exhibited earlier differentiation, i.e. earlier axonal outgrowth and dendritic maturation with enhanced neurite branching, than neurons cultured with PLL. Synaptic formation and postsynaptic responses were evident as early as 4 days in cells cultured with adhesamine. Acceleration of differentiation is mediated by earlier activation of the signalling pathways from heparan sulfate in the extracellular matrix to both FAK (focal adhesion kinase) and MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase). Improved survival rates and accelerated maturation of neurons exposed to adhesamine suggest that this completely synthetic molecule may be a useful reagent for culturing neuronal cells.
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Research Article|
March 29 2010
Adhesamine, a new synthetic molecule, accelerates differentiation and prolongs survival of primary cultured mouse hippocampal neurons
Mitsunobu Hoshino;
Mitsunobu Hoshino
*Section of Neuroanatomy and Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Systems Neuroscience, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
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Tetsuhiro Tsujimoto;
Tetsuhiro Tsujimoto
†Department of Medical Life Systems, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan
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Sayumi Yamazoe;
Sayumi Yamazoe
‡Institute for Chemical Research and Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
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Motonari Uesugi;
Motonari Uesugi
‡Institute for Chemical Research and Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
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Sumio Terada
Sumio Terada
1
*Section of Neuroanatomy and Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Systems Neuroscience, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email terada.nana@tmd.ac.jp).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
January 11 2010
Revision Received:
February 10 2010
Accepted:
February 11 2010
Accepted Manuscript online:
February 11 2010
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 Biochemical Society
2010
Biochem J (2010) 427 (2): 297–304.
Article history
Received:
January 11 2010
Revision Received:
February 10 2010
Accepted:
February 11 2010
Accepted Manuscript online:
February 11 2010
Citation
Mitsunobu Hoshino, Tetsuhiro Tsujimoto, Sayumi Yamazoe, Motonari Uesugi, Sumio Terada; Adhesamine, a new synthetic molecule, accelerates differentiation and prolongs survival of primary cultured mouse hippocampal neurons. Biochem J 15 April 2010; 427 (2): 297–304. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BJ20100071
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