Ultrastructure of ependymal cells in primary cultures of cerebral cortex

Abstract

Ultrastructural features of ependymal cells growing in primary cultures of dissociated cerebral cortical tissue were investigated using electron microscopy. The ependyma exhibited a specific orientation in tissue culture such that the cell surface corresponding to the apical surface in situ was directed toward the culture medium. The membrane on the apical surface of cultured ependyma was characterized by the presence of cilia and microvilli. The lateral margins were marked by a variety of junctions: zonula occludens, zonula adherens, and membrane interdigitations. The cell cytoplasm contained pleomorphic mitochondria, Golgi profiles, clusters of ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and particularly profuse scattered microfilaments and microtubules. These features support the identity of the cells as ependymal in the cultures and establish them as a relatively accurate reflection of ependyma in situ.