| Research Abstract |
P19 embryonic carcinoma (EC) cells are one of the simplest systems for analyzing the neuronal differentiation. To identify the membrane-associated molecules on the neuronal cells involved in the early neuronal differentiation in mice, we generated two monoclonal antibodies, SKY-1 and SKY-2,by immunizing rats with a membrane fraction of the neuronally committed P19 EC cells as an antigen. SKY-1 and SKY-2 recognized the carbohydrate moiety of a 90 kDa protein (RANDAM-1) and the polypeptide core of a 40 kDa protein (RANDAM-2), respectively. In the P19 EC cells, the expression of RANDAM-1 was colocalized to a part of Nestin-positive cells, whereas that of RANDAM-2 was observed in most nestin-positive cells as well as β-III-tubulin positive neurons. In the embryonic and adult brain of mice, RANDAM-1 was expressed at embryonic day 8.5 (E8.5), and the localization of antigen was restricted on the neuroepithelium and choroids plexus. The RANDAM-2 expression commenced at E6.0, and the antigen w
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as distributed not only on the neuroepithelium of embryonic brain but on the neurons of adult brain. Collectively, it was concluded that RANDAM-1 is a stage specific antigen to express on the neural stem cells, and RANDAM-2 is constitutively expressed on both the neural stem cells and differentiated neuronal cells in the mouse central nervous system (CNS).
Complementary DNA cloning of RANDAM-2 indicated that its nucleotide sequence completely matched that of PA2.26 antigen, a sialomucin-like transmembrane glycoprotein previously found on tumorigenic keratinocytes. RANDAM-2 transcripts were detectable from E6.5,and then the expression continued throughout the remaining embryonic stages and adulthood, with a localization restricted to the CNS. In growth factor-induced neurospheres and adult cerebrum, RANDAM-2-expressing cells coincided well not only with nestin-positive cells but also with glutamate-positive neurons, but not with γ-aminobutyric acid-positive ones. These results indicate that RANDAM-2 is one of the type I membrane surface antigens constitutively expressed on undifferentiated neuronal cells and the glutamatergic neuronal cells during mouse neurogenesis. Less
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