Responses of type II spiral ganglion neurites to stripes of laminin and fibronectin

The study evaluated the role of extracellular matrix proteins laminin (LN) and fibronectin (FN) in guiding type II spiral ganglion (SG) neurites in vitro. It was found that type II SG neurites generally avoided LN at all but the lowest concentrations and avoided high concentrations of FN relative to poly-L-lysine (PLL), showing no preference at intermediate and lower FN concentrations. When grown on alternating stripes of LN and FN, there was no significant difference in neurite endings on either molecule. These findings suggested that LN and FN can serve as guidance cues for type II SG neurites, with responses differing from type I neurites, potentially contributing to distinct innervation patterns.