Fig.2-9. Neurofilament expression in monolayer cultures
grown on glass and on polyornithine for approximately 2
weeks. Shown are high magnifications to demonstrate
morphologies of individual cells. Anti-neurofilament
reactivity (NF-M) was found in neurons in both (a)
unpurified and (b) purified cultures to approximately the
same extent on glass. A large number of filaments were
present along with NF-M(+) cell bodies in many A2B5(+)
neurons. Many A2B5(+) neurons (<50%) in both cultures did
not react with antibodies against neurofilaments. A small
number of NF-M(+) neurons were A2B5(-). Cultures on
polyornithine of unpurified (c) and (e) microsphere
fraction cells revealed networks of neurofilaments similar
to those on glass. Purified cells (d) degenerated on
polyornithine and correspondingly contained a paucity of
NF-M reactivity. Unpurified cell cultures (f) on glass that
were double labelled with antibodies against both the heavy
and middle weight triplet proteins (NF1 and NF-M,
respectively) showed similar but not identical patterns of
reactivity in neurons. Anti- (NF-M) appeared to react with
more processes than did NF1. Neither antibody reacted with
filaments in the A2B5(-) flat cells underlying the neurons.
Bar, 50pm.