Studies of gangliosides in diverse nerve cell cultures.

Primary nerve cell cultures and tumor cells have been analysed with respect to synthesis of gangliosides. Neither developmental aspects of primary cultures nor nerve growth factor-induced fiber extension in PC12 or ZPH tumor cells gave any evidence of an involvement of gangliosides. Thus, it is concluded that neurite sprouting and ganglioside synthesis may not be interrelated, but that gangliosides might well serve as receptors for trophic factors.