Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons

Cultured dorsal root ganglia cells are often used as a model of sensory neurons.  For culturing, the cells are seeded in well plates coated with poly-D-lysine and laminin.  This special coating is needed to ensure that the cells remained adhered to the well plate over the culturing period.  In addition the dorsal root ganglia cells are cultured with the mitotic inhibitors 5-fluoro-2’-deoxyuridine and uridine to prevent the proliferation Schwann cells (Schwaan cells are also recovered as part of the Dorsal Root Ganglia Cell prep and can cause the neurons to detach from the culture plate).  Under these culturing conditions the neurons maintain a normal pseudounipolar morphology (two axons emanating from the cell body; one that would normally extends toward the spinal cord and one that would extend to the skin) and within approximately 4 days in culture the cells will form neurite networks.