Vimentin and keratin are expressed in the neurogenic tissue of the rabbit embryo during primary neurulation.
Against the commonly held belief that differential expression of keratins is a sign of neurogenic commitment amongst ectodermal cells of the early vertebrate embryo we show here that the same keratins (8 and 18) are expressed in the epidermal ectoderm and the neurectoderm throughout primary neurulation of the early rabbit embryo, i.e. between 8.5 and 11 days post conceptionem (d.p.c.). However, keratin expression decreases during this developmental period and, by the time primary neurulation is completed, keratin expression is virtually absent in the cells of the neural tube. Vimentin expression is weak, at first, but increases in a reciprocal manner as compared to the decreasing keratin expression until it has reached a high and stable level of expression in the established neural tube of the 10 to 11 day old rabbit embryo.
Viebahn
C
C
Institute of Anatomy, University of Bonn, FRG.
Lane
E B
EB
Ramaekers
F C
FC
D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005865:Gestational Age; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D011817:Rabbits; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis
D014746:Vimentin; D007633:Keratins