title: Analysis of a unique molecule responsible for regeneration and stabilization of differentiated state of tissue cells.
abstract: In Wolffian regeneration in the newt, a functional lens can be regenerated through cellular transdifferentiation of the pigmented epithelium of the mid-dorsal marginal iris. A novel monoclonal antibody, 2NI-36 mAb, generated in our laboratory has been utilized as a highly useful probe to study newt lens regeneration. The antigen molecule against this 2NI-36 mAb (2NI-36) became temporarily undetectable only at the site of lens regeneration. Moreover, the ventral iris pieces expressed the ability to differentiate a lens when pretreated with this monoclonal antibody and implanted in lentectomized eyes (Eguchi, Cell Differ. Dev. 25, Suppl., 1988). We have investigated the distribution of 2NI-36 in newt tissues. 2NI-36 was not specific to iris pigmented epithelium and distributed in many different kinds of mesodermal tissues, including dermis, blood vessel, mesonephros and so forth. 2NI-36 was also detected in either cell surface or intercellular spaces of cultured pigmented epithelial cells when they organized an epithelial cell sheet. Western blot analysis showed that 2NI-36 had the molecular weight of 50-200kD and was completely digested by trypsin, suggesting that 2NI-36 was a glycoprotein with many carbohydrate chains. It was also revealed by Western blot analysis that all the tissues in which 2NI-36 could be detected expressed this molecule similar to that in the iris epithelium. We expect that 2NI-36 is a glycoprotein expressed by various newt tissues and is functional to stabilize the differentiated state of each tissue cell in the same way as observed in the iris pigmented epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imokawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007498:Iris / Q000378:metabolism; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012038:Regeneration; D012455:Salamandridae / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006023:Glycoproteins