title: Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and N-cadherin mRNA during development and aging: selective reduction in the 7.4-kb and 6.7-kb NCAM mRNA levels in the hippocampus of adult and old rats.
abstract: By examining the time course, from E15 to 720 days of age, for changes in the prevalence of mRNAs coding for neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), N-cadherin and alpha-tubulin in rat hippocampus and forebrain, it was concluded that (i) the NCAM 7.4-, 6.7-, 5.2-, 4.3- and 2.9-kb mRNAs are differentially regulated during development and aging; (ii) the 7.4- and 6.7-kb mRNA are drastically reduced starting from day 21 onward; (iii) the E15- and day-1-specific mRNA of 4.3 kb is replaced with the 5.2-kb mRNA starting with 21 days, thereafter the 5.2-kb message remained relatively constant over the entire life-span studied. Likewise, the 2.9-kb mRNA, which was very abundantly expressed at E15 and early postnatal stages, remained relatively constant between 180 days and 720 days; (iv) postnatal rat brains showed both qualitative and quantitative changes in N-cadherin 4.3- and 4.0-kb transcripts. The 4.3-kb mRNA was relatively abundant at 1 and 21 days postnatal stages, thereafter the signal remained very low over the entire life-span studied. The 4.0-kb message, which was specific for the E15 stage, was replaced with the 4.3-kb message; (v) as expected, the 1.8-kb mRNA coding for embryonic alpha-tubulin decreased dramatically after 1 day, but became stabilized at moderate levels during the subsequent developmental stages. At least for the NCAM gene, the regulation seems to occur post-transcriptionally, possibly at the level of RNA processing while the N-cadherin mRNA expression seems to be transcriptionally regulated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Karlsruhe, F.R.G.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reck
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006128:Growth / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D012333:RNA, Messenger