Neural recognition molecule NB-2 of the contactin/F3 subgroup in rat: Specificity in neurite outgrowth-promoting activity and restricted expression in the brain regions. |
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Authors: | J Ogawa S Lee K Itoh S Nagata T Machida Y Takeda K Watanabe |
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Affiliation: | Department of Cell Recognition, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan. |
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Abstract: | NB-2, a neural cell recognition molecule of the contactin/F3 subgroup, promoted neurite outgrowth of the cerebral cortical neurons but not the hippocampal neurons. NB-2 in rat became apparent after birth at protein level, reaching a maximum at postnatal day 14 in the cerebrum and postnatal day 3 in the cerebellum. NB-2 in the cerebellum declined abruptly thereafter. In situ hybridization demonstrated that NB-2 mRNA was highly expressed in regions implicated in the central auditory pathway, including the cochlear nuclei, superior olive, inferior colliculi, medial geniculate nuclei, and auditory cortex. In addition, a high level of NB-2 expression was observed in the accessory olfactory bulb, thalamic nuclei, facial nucleus, and inferior olive. By immunohistochemistry, intense immunoreactivity against NB-2 was also detected in the auditory pathway. Thus, NB-2 is expressed in highly restricted brain regions, including the auditory system, suggesting that it plays specific roles in the development and/or maturation of the regions. |
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Keywords: | contactin subgroup development auditory pathway neurite outgrowth |
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