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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Preparation of Synaptic Plasma Membrane and Postsynaptic Density Proteins Using a Discontinuous Sucrose Gradient
Published on: September 3, 2014
Tenascin and laminin function in target recognition and central synaptic differentiation
J Soussand1, R Jahké, P Simon-Assmann
1CNRS/ULP UMR 7519, IPCB, Strasbourg, France.
Abstract:
The influence of the target cell-issued extracellular molecules tenascin-C and laminin on synaptogenesis was studied in mixed primary cultures of pituitary melanotrophs and hypothalamic neurons. We could demonstrate in this neuron-target co-culture system a new role for tenascin-C, which appeared to be expressed as an early and transitory signal of target recognition for selective afferent fibers. Tenascin-C expression disappeared from the melanotrophs soon after the establishment of neural contacts. Concomitantly, the melanotrophs became immunoreactive for laminins, and more specifically for the synaptic isoform beta2 chain-containing laminin. The laminin signal appeared to be involved in the induction of synaptic differentiation, selectively with fibers containing both dopamine and GABA, like those innervating the melanotrophs in situ.
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