Effects of serum, tissue extract, conditioned medium, and culture substrata on neurite appearance from spinal cord explants of chick embryo.

The effects of serum, tissue extracts, conditioned medium, (CM), and culture substrata on neurite appearance from spinal cord explants of 6- to 8-day-old chick embryos were investigated. In Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) with no supplement neurites from explants did not appear on collagen coating but on polyornithine coating (PORN). It is concluded that cell-to-substratum interaction is important in neurite appearance. CM, serum and tissue extract potentiated neurite appearance, but their activities were highly dependent on the coating. The amount of collagen was also crucial. On collagen, neurite appearance was observed only when promoting substances were present. CM and serum contained at least two components; one affected neurite appearance after deposition on collagen and the other affected neurite appearance when present in the culture medium. The former was included also in tissue extracts. Both of adsorbable and non-adsorbable components from any origin were necessary for effective induction of neurite appearance. Heat treatment and dialysis differentiated these active components. On PORN, CM highly potentiated neurite appearance. The activity of the CM was reproduced by its low molecular weight fraction. Serum also promoted neurite appearance, but to a lesser extent than CM. The effect of tissue extract was not remarkable.