1993 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Molecular Approaches on Neuronal Cell Recognition
| Project/Area Number |
04454026
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
動物発生・生理学
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| Research Institution | Nagoya University |
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Principal Investigator |
FUJISAWA Hajime Nagoya University, Department of Molecular Biology, Professor, 理学部, 教授 (60079689)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KAWAKAMI Atushi Nagoya University, Department of Molecular Biology, Assistant Professor, 理学部, 助手 (00221896)
TAGAKI Shin Nagoya University, Department of Molecular Biology, Assistant Professor, 理学部, 助手 (90171420)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1992 – 1993
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| Keywords | Neuronal cell / Cell recognition / Membrane protein / cDNA clonign / Cell adhesion / Neural retina / Transfection |
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| Research Abstract |
To clarify molecular mechanisms underlaying specific neurolal cell recognition, we have produced monoclonal antibodies which recognize neuroral cell surface proteins in Xenopus tadpole nervous tissues, and obtained a monoclonal antibody named B2 (MAb-B2). The antigen recognized by MAb-B2 is a cell surface protein with 220kd in molecular weigth. We named the cell surface protein as plexin (renamed from B2). In this study, to access the biological meanings of the plexin in the developmetn of nervous sytem, the following two appraches have been done.
1. Involvement of the Plexin in Retinal Histogenseis : Immunohistochemistry using MAb-B2 indicated that, in the neural retina, the plexin was expressed in both the inner and outer plexiform layrs. When embryonic eyes were cultured in the presence of anti-plexin antiserum (Fab fragments), the formation of the retinal plexiform layrs was impeded. These data suggest that the plexin plays a role in the development of retinal plexiform layrs.
2. cDNA cloning : cDNA cloning reveals that the plexin is a novel type-l transmembrane protein with threeinternal repeats of cystein-rich clusters in its extracellular portion. To test whether the plexin is a cell adhesion molecule, we tranfected mouse fibraoblastic cell line (L cells) with Xenopus plexin cDNA.L cells introduced exogenous plexin showed cell adhesiveness, in the presence of Ca^<2+>. These results indicate that the plexin can mediate cell adhesion in a homophilic, Ca^<2+>-dependent manner.
The results obtained in this study suggest that the cell surface protein plexin in involved in neuronal cell recognition, and may an important role in the development of nervous system.
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