Primary culture of axolotl spinal cord ependymal cells.

In order to examine the role of ependymal cells in the spinal cord regeneration of urodele amphibians, procedures were established to identify and culture these cells. Cell isolation and culture conditions were determined for ependymal cells from larval and adult axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum). Dissociated cells prepared from intact spinal cords were cultured on fibronectin- or laminin-coated dishes. Dissociated cells attached more rapidly to fibronectin, but attached and spread on both fibronectin and laminin. Essentially pure populations of ependymal cells were obtained by removing 2 week old ependymal outgrowth from lesion sites of adult spinal cords. These ependymal outgrowths attached and grew only on fibronectin-coated dishes. Growth and trophic factors were tested to formulate a medium that would support ependymal cell proliferation. The necessary peptide hormones were PDGF, EGF, and insulin. TGF-beta(1) affected the organization of cell outgrowth. Initially, longterm culture required the presence of high levels of axolotl serum. Addition of purified bovine hemaglobin in the culture medium reduced the serum requirement. Outgrowth from expiants was subcultured by transferring groups of cells. Intrinsic markers were used to identify ependymal cells in culture. The ependymal cells have characteristic ring-shaped nucleoli in both intact axolotl spinal cords and in culture. Indirect immunofluorescence examination of intermediate filaments showed that ependymal cells were glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) negative and vimentin positive in culture. Identification of dividing cells was made using (3)H-thymidine incorporation and autoradiography, and by the presence of mitotic figures in the cultured cells.