title: Expression of high-molecular-weight neurofilament protein and vimentin in human developing spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia.
abstract: Expression of intermediate filament proteins in developing human dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord was studied using double-label immunofluorescence on frozen sections with monoclonal antibodies to vimentin and high-molecular-weight neurofilament protein (NF-H). Both proteins were found in the nerve fibres inside the ganglia of 6- and 8-week embryos. In 9-14-week embryos the NF-H protein was found in the perikarya of ganglion cells. Vimentin was only sporadically present in these cells, but was accumulated in connective tissue cells. In the following development the NF-H protein expression was limited to the ganglion cells and processes, and vimentin was confined to the satellite cells and mesenchymal derivatives. In the spinal cord of the 6-week and 8-week human embryos NF-H protein was found in the longitudinal fibres of the marginal layer and in a loose network of nerve fibres in the mantle zone. Some of the nerve fibres were also vimentin positive. The coexpression of both proteins stopped during weeks 9-10. In 30-week foetuses vimentin was only found in glial cells and mesenchymal derivatives, while NF-H protein was in the axons of both white and grey matter but not in neuronal perikarya.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty of Masaryk University, Children's Hospital, Brno.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lukás
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dráber
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Viklický
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dráberová
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dolezel
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000196:embryology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000196:embryology; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D014746:Vimentin