A developmentally regulated antigen associated with neural cell and process migration

Abstract

The distribution of an epitope recognized by the monoclonal antibody JONES has been studied immunohistochemically in the developing nervous system of the rat. In the present report, we survey selected regions of the fetal, postnatal, and adult rat nervous system to test the hypothesis that JONES binding is invariably associated with neural cell migration and axon growth in the developing rat. A series of selected developmental stages extending from embryonic day (E) 9 to adult were used in this investigation. The distribution of JONES binding was examined using indirect immunofluorescence, as well as the immunogold procedure. Particular attention was paid to regions where the positions and timing of cell and axon migrations have been well described for the rat. JONES immunoreactivity first appears at E11-12, when it is localized to the lamina terminalis, the telencephalic-diencephalic junction, the midbrain, and the rhombic lip regions of the cytologically undifferentiated neural tube. In all the regions studied, during embryonic and early postnatal life, the labeling is very intense in the ventricular zone and shows a radial array in the adjacent intermediate and marginal zones. The expression of JONES epitope correlates particularly with times of cell migration in the retina, superior colliculus, cerebellum, and telencephalon and in regions undergoing neurite extension, such as the developing optic tract, the white matter of the cerebellum, the dorsal roots, the trigeminal system, and olfactory nerve. JONES binding becomes progressively restricted in the postnatal period. In the adult brain, immunoreactivity is present only in the retina and cerebellum. In the retina, JONES labeling is present in the outer plexiform layer and optic fiber layer. The labeling in the optic fiber layer extends to the optic nerve head and stops abruptly outside the orbit. In the cerebellum, JONES shows a radially oriented pattern throughout the molecular layer and delineates the cell bodies in the Purkinje cell layer. The only non-neural regions that show JONES immunoreactivity are the adrenal medulla and the kidney glomeruli. We conclude that the antigens recognized by the JONES monoclonal antibody are associated with the migration of subsets of cells and axons within the developing rat nervous system and, consequently, may play a role in conveying selectivity to these processes.

EMA: A developmentally regulated cell‐surface glycoprotein of CNS neurons that is concentrated at the leading edge of growth cones

“…The selection of antibodies for analysis has generally been based on the ability of the antibody to interfere with a predetermined function such as cell adhesion (Edelman, 1983;Kruse et al, 1985) or an immunolabeling pattern that indicates developmental regulation (Mendez-Otero et al, 1988). We have used the latter method to produce a monoclonal antibody (2A1) that recognizes an antigen expressed on the surface of neurons of the central nervous system of the mouse.…”

Functional role of a specific ganglioside in neuronal migration and neurite outgrowth

“…We have investigated the possible role of 9-O-acetyl GD3 in the glial-guided neuronal migration using the developing rat cerebellum as a model. In previous studies we had shown that the expression of this ganglioside is developmentally regulated in the developing cerebellum (28). In E14-18 fetuses, immunocytochemistry labeling with Jones mAb is present, extending from the ventricular to the pial surface of the cerebellar anlage.…”

“…In our initial studies we have shown that the pattern of staining with this antibody in the developing rat nervous system correlates temporally and spatially with neuronal migration and neurite outgrowth (28,29). The biochemical characterization of the antigen revealed that this mAb recognizes a ganglioside that migrates between GM1 and GM2 ganglioside standards.…”

“…In the developing nervous system, we have shown that the expression pattern of this specific Jones mAb reactive ganglioside correlates with times of cell migration in the retina (Figure 2), superior colliculus, cerebellum, and telencephalon and in regions undergoing neurite extension, such as the developing optic tract, the white matter of the cerebellum, the dorsal roots (Figure 3), the trigeminal system, and olfactory nerve (12,28,29,33,(37)(38)(39). This has led us to suggest that the function of 9-O-acetyl GD3 is to modulate motility either directly or by modifying the efficacy of some other component of the system (39,40).…”

“…The immunoreactivity for this ganglioside is also present in the embryonic telencephalon, showing a radial organization correlated with radial migration in this region (28). Blockage of the ganglioside with Jones antibody arrests neuronal migration on tissue slices of embryonic telencephalon (45).…”