Synopses & Reviews
The immense complexity and cellular heterogeneity of the vertebrate nervous system makes it difficult to study many types of neural processes at a cellular and molecular level. In recent years, the establishment of cell culture model systems for almost every region and cell type in the nervous system has been crucial in facilitating such studies and in heralding some key breakthroughs in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms.
Neural Cell Culture brings together methods for preparing cultures from a diverse range of neural tissues and cells, from both the central and peripheral nervous systems of mammalian and avian species. Important features of this volume are the clearly illustrated dissection guides accompanying each chapter, methods for enriching and purifying distinct cell types, and guidance on optimizing cell viability and growth. Each chapter includes valuable step-by-step protocols, hints and tips for success, advice, and background information.
Table of Contents
I. CNS Neurons 1. Cerebellum: granule cells
2. Cerebellar Purkinje neurons
3. Nigral and Striated neurons
4. Septal neurons
5. Proliferation and differentiation in retinal cell cultures
6. Purified embryonic motoneurons
II. PNS glia and non-neuronal cells
7. Astrocytes
8. Oligodendrocyte lineage cells from neonatal rat brain
9. Microglia: the tissue macrophage of the CNS
10. Brain endothelium
III. PNS neurons and glia
11. Neural crest cells: strategies to generate lineage diversification in vitro
13. Avian cilliary and lumbar sympathetic ganglion neurons
14. Enteric ganglion cells
15. Mouse olfactory epithelium
16. Schwann cell culture