Fragile-X, Astrocytes and BMC Image of the Month

Dr. Laurie Doering and his team at McMaster University are discovering root causes of Fragile X Syndrome. A disease manifested by cognitive impairment, attention deficit and autistic behaviours.

I wanted to share highlights and links to a recent publication as it contains interesting conclusions and some of the best multiple label staining of combined embryonic rat and mouse neurons-astrocytes cultures I have seen. No wonder that this is a highly accessed Biomed Central Article and includes the image of the month. The featured  image references use of our MAP-2 antibody.

Shelley Jacobs , Meera Nathwani and Laurie C Doering. Fragile X astrocytes induce developmental delays in dendrite maturation and synaptic protein expression. BMC Neuroscience 2010, 11:132doi:10.1186/1471-2202-11-132.

Conclusions: These experiments are the first to establish a role for astrocytes in the delayed growth characteristics and abnormal morphological features in dendrites and synapses that characterize the Fragile X syndrome.

Image: Co-culture of embryonic mouse hippocampal neurons and astrocytes. Primary embryonic hippocampal neurons at 7 days in vitro, were stained with Microtubule Associated Protein-2 (MAP, green) to enable the visualization of the dendritic arbors. These neurons were cultured on top of a monolayer of primary cortical astrocytes, stained with an antibody directed against Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP, red). The cell nuclei were visualized by staining with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI, blue).

Related Links:
Neuronal-Glial Markers-Astrocytes, Glia, Microglia, Olidogodendrocytes, Progenitors and Schwann Cell Markers
Neurofilament or NF Antibodies
Stem Cell Research Antibodies
Stem Cell Research Reagents

Primary Neurons and Astrocytes-Primary human, rat and mouse neurons and astrocytes.

Potent Neuron-Glial Markers

We are recognized for having top shelf Neuron/Glial Marker Antibodies. We have an extensive catalog and have customer referencing use of these in a variety of applications, species and cell types.

Cell types include neural progenitors, neurons, glia, astrocytes, schwann cells and more. We are pleased to provide present a new publication referencing use of our MAP2 (Microtubule assoc. protein 2) Antibody for immunostaining of E17 primary mouse astrocytes.

Shelley Jacobs and Laurie C. Doering. Astrocytes Prevent Abnormal Neuronal Development in the Fragile X Mouse. J. Neurosci., Mar 2010; 30: 4508 - 4514 ; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5027-09.2010.

After 7 d in vitro (DIV), the cells were fixed with ice-cold (–20°C) methanol and processed for immunocytochemistry. After the appropriate serum block, the cells were incubated with primary antibodies overnight at 4°C. Secondary antibodies were applied for 3 h at room temperature. The following antibody, diluted in 1% BSA, was used: chicken microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) (1:20,000; Neuromics) and anti-chicken FITC (1:100; Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories). Coverslips were mounted with Vectashield fluorescent mounting medium with 4`,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI).

Images: Effects of astrocytes on the growth of hippocampal neurons in coculture at 7 DIV. E17 primary hippocampal neurons were cocultured with P0–P1 primary cortical astrocytes for 7 DIV in each of four coculture conditions. a, Immunofluorescent images of neurons in each of the four culture combinations. Neurons are stained with an antibody directed against the neuronal dendritic marker, MAP2. Scale bar, 100 µm. b, Quantification of percentage of surviving neurons at 7 DIV in each of the four culture conditions. Data shown are mean values ± SEM from two or three independent experiments (10–15 regions of 1.5 mm2 from 2 coverslips per experiment). Significant differences revealed by post hoc Tukey's tests are indicated (p less than 0.001).

Related Reagents

• Stem Cell Research Antibodies


• Stem Cell Research Reagents


• Primary Neurons and Astrocytes-Primary
  human, rat and mouse neurons and astrocytes