Selective attachment of neural cells to specific substrates including Cell-Tak, a new cellular adhesive

Adherence of embryonic hypothalamic cells and a homogeneous neuronal cell line was assessed on various substrates and compared to attachment to the new cellular and tissue adhesive, Cell-Tak. Cell-Tak provided the most advantageous surface with 100% of fetal brain cells attaching in 5 h. Attachment of hypothalamic cells to compounds such as poly-D-lysine or collagen within this time was increased by 45 and 25%, respectively, over tissue-culture plastic. All cells of the clonal cell line N2AB-1 attached to Cell-Tak in the presence or absence of fetal calf serum and were found to be resistant to trypsin removal. Conditioned medium from these cells enhanced attachment of N2AB-1 twofold when compared to adherence to tissue-culture plastic. Striking morphological changes were seen in N2AB-1 after culturing on Cell-Tak for 2 days. Thirty percent of the population extended long neurites when grown on Cell-Tak with serum. Without serum, 30 to 50% of the cells extended very broad neurites often branched at the end, which were morphological changes not seen on plastic surfaces. These findings indicate that Cell-Tak is an optimal adhesive for primary neural cell culture and maintenance. Moreover, this adhesive protein appears to induce neuritogenesis and cellular differentiation in a neuronal cell line.