Abstract
N-Cadherin is a major cell adhesion molecule that is expressed in the developing nervous system where it has been implicated in neural migration and axon growth. Recently, a role for N-cadherin in oligodendrocyte differentiation has been identified. Oligodendrocyte precursors adhere to N-cadherin and mature rapidly to produce myelin sheets. Since this implies that oligodendrocytes express N-cadherin, we examined the expression of N-cadherin by oligodendrocytes in culture. N-Cadherin was expressed by O-2A progenitors, immature oligodendrocytes and mature oligodendrocytes, but at a lower level than in type 1 astrocytes in the same cultures. On mature oligodendrocytes, the N-cadherin was concentrated on the major processes emerging from the soma. The ability of N-cadherin and merosin to promote oligodendrocyte precursor migration was also studied. Average migration rates were significantly higher on merosin (11.2 μm/h) than on N-cadherin (5.6 μm/h). These results suggest that N-cadherin is not likely to function predominantly as a substrate that stimulates migration of O-2A progenitors, but may be more important in initiating early oligodendrocyte-axon interactions that promote the process of myelination.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 9-15 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Developmental Brain Research |
Volume | 97 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 22 1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cell migration
- Immunofluorescence
- Merosin
- Myelination
- O-2A progenitor
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental Biology
- Developmental Neuroscience