The last decade has generated a multitude of studies using in vitro model systems to explore growth and differentiation of the nervous system. Although the findings have been exciting and have revealed unique properties of neural cells, considerable concern continues to be expressed regarding the significance of in vitro findings in terms of their applicability to in vivo biological events. To examine this issue further, a group of scientists pre­ sented and discussed their findings at a conference sponsored by the Institute of Developmental Neuroscience and Aging held in Crete, Greece, 26-29 May 1985. The conference was cosponsored by the University of Crete and was generously supported by the Ministry of Research and Technology of Greece, Tourism Organization of Greece, and also Sandoz and FIDIA. The Directors of the Institute of Developmental Neuroscience and Aging are indebted to these Institutions for their support. For the success of this conference, the Directors owe much to Drs. Eleni Fleischer-Lambropoulos and Yiannis Tsouderos, who spent countless hours in making arrangements so that the participants would have not only a scientific, but also a unique cultural, experience. Several chapters of this book focus on the complex phenomena of neurogenesis and gliogenesis, and the modulation of neuronal differentiation. The concept that neuronal differentiation has both genetic and epigenetic components is documented by elegant studies using both in vitro cultured cells and neurons transplanted in vivo.

I. Neurons, Neuroglia and Neuronal-Glial Interactions.- 1. Cell Culture Systems for Purified Retinal Neurons and Photoreceptors.- 2. Primary Cultures of GABAergic and Glutamatergic Neurons as Model Systems to Study Neurotransmitter Functions. I. Differentiated Cells.- 3. Primary Cultures of GABAergic and Glutamatergic Neurons as Model Systems to Study Neurotransmitter Functions. II. Developmental Aspects.- 4. Development of Cerebral Cortical GABAergic Neurons In Vitro.- 5. Morphological Analysis of 5-HT Neurons Transplanted into the Olfactory Bulb of the Adult Rat.- 6. An Analysis of Interactions Between Grafted Serotonin Neurons and an Adult Host Hippocampus.- 7. Neuronal Modulation by Number and by Volume: A Review and Critical Analysis.- 8. Oligodendrocyte Development; Immunological Studies.- 9. Intracerebral Transplantation as a Model for Studying the Myelination Process.- 10. In Vitro Effects of Glia Maturation Factor on Bipotential Glial Progenitor Cells.- 11. Specialized Junctions of Glial Cells In Situ and In Vitro.- 12. Electrophysiological and Ionic Transport Properties of Glial Cells in Culture.- 13. In Vitro Regulation of Dopaminergic Maturation.- 14. Do Mouse Cerebellum Astrocytes Play a Role in Neuronal Survival and Differentiation?.- 15. Proliferation and Maturation of Rat Neuroblasts in Culture: Influence of Meningeal Cells.- II. Neuromodulation, Synapse and Receptors.- 16. Neurotransmitters as Morphogenetic Signals and Trophic Factors.- 17. Multifunctional Roles for Neurotransmitters: The Regulation of Neurite Outgrowth, Growth-Cone Motility and Synaptogenesis.- 18. Peptide Modulation of Neuronal Differentiation in Culture.- 19. Trophic and Toxic Mechanisms in Neuronal Survival.- 20. Factors Influencing the Proliferation and Differentiation of Brain Neurons In Vitro.- 21. Role of Steroid Hormones in Neural Growth and Differentiation: In Vivo and In Vitro Comparisons.- 22. Neural Factor-Induced Formation of Acetylcholine Receptor Aggregates on Myotubes: An In Vitro Model for Development of the Postsynaptic Cell Surface Complex.- 23. Current Findings on the Morphological Induction of Synaptogenesis in Neuronal Cells In Vitro.- 24. Are Age-Related Changes in Receptor Activity an Expression of Altered Membrane Fluidity?.- 25. Metabolic Regulation in Brain Cells.- III. Aging and Regeneration.- 26. Monoaminergic and Cholinergic Intracerebral Grafts: Use in Model Systems of Aging.- 27. The Iris as a Model of Aging.- 28. In Vitro Model of Neuronal Aging and Development in the Nervous System.- 29. Gangliosides as a Tool for Studying the Repair of Adult Mammalian Brain After Injury.- 30. Aging-Related Pathology in Human Neuroblastoma and Teratocarcinoma Cell Lines.- 31. Comparisons of Glial Cells from Newborn and Aged Mouse in Culture.- 32. Tissue Culture in Studies of Aging in the Nervous System: Toxicity of MPTP to Dopamine Neurons.