Neuron-glia adhesion is inhibited by antibodies to neural determinants.

Suspensions of embryonic chick neuronal cells adhered to monolayers of glial cells, but few neurons bound to control monolayers of fibroblastic cells from meninges or skin. Neuronal cell-glial cell adhesion was inhibited by prior incubation of the neurons with Fab' fragments of antibodies to neuronal membranes. In contrast, antibodies to the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) did not inhibit the binding. These results suggest that a specific adhesive mechanism between neurons and glial cells exists and that it is mediated by CAM's that differ from those so far identified.