De Jonge, et al. (2001). cAMP is involved in the differentiation of human teratocarcinoma cells.

[Wise Young]

De Jonge RR, Van Schaik IN, Vermeulen M, Kwa MS and Baas F (2001). cAMP is involved in the differentiation of human teratocarcinoma cells. Neurosci Lett. 311 (1): 61-5. Summary: The generation of fully differentiated post-mitotic human neuronal cells from stem cells (human teratocarcinoma (hNT2) cells) might enable the development of a co-culture model of human neurons with human Schwann cells (SCs). This co-culture model is an important tool to study formation of myelin sheaths. However, the thin process of the post-mitotic human neuronal cells formed under known culture conditions do not provide a good substrate for human SCs to start myelination. We optimized the culture conditions of these cells to obtain axons with a larger diameter. Western blotting and immunofluorescence studies were performed to confirm the neuronal status of the cells and diameter of the processes. In this study, we show that addition of cAMP-inducing factors to hNT2 cells resulted in rapid morphological changes including the development of processes with a larger diameter. Neurozintuigen Laboratorium, Academic Medical Center, The, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

[frank]

Do axon diameter differ in neurons?


"... cAMP-inducing factors will result in rapid
morphological alteration of the hNT2 cells to
form thicker neurites that predisposes the
myelin formation."

[Wise Young]

Yes, indeed, axons do differ considerably in diameters. Larger axons conduct faster and tend also to be proprioceptive or motor in function. Wise.