title: Embryonic neural cell adhesion molecule in cerebrospinal fluid of younger children: age-dependent decrease during the first year.
abstract: Poly-alpha-2,8-N-acetylneuraminic acid (poly-alpha-2,8-NeuAc) is developmentally expressed in neural tissue of higher animals, where it is covalently attached to the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), a large integral membrane glycoprotein mediating cell-cell adhesion during neuronal development. NCAM exists in several molecular forms, of which only embryonic NCAM carries lengthy chains (n greater than 5) of poly-alpha-2,8-NeuAc. Chemically identical poly-alpha-2,8-NeuAc of bacterial origin is an important virulence factor in infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis group B and Escherichia coli K1, the predominant pathogens of bacterial meningitis. A quantitative enzyme-linked immunoassay was developed using monoclonal antibody (MAb) 735, an MAb specifically recognizing poly-alpha-2,8-NeuAc, and applied to CSF specimens from younger children. Poly-alpha-2,8-NeuAc contents were within the range of 20-0.2 micrograms/ml, decreasing from day 1 to day 300. Immunoprecipitation, immunoblot with a rabbit anti-mouse NCAM serum recognizing the protein part of human NCAM by cross-reactivity, affinity enrichment using immobilized MAb 735, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that poly-alpha-2,8-NeuAc in CSF is bound to human NCAM, probably NCAM-120.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Hannover; F.R.G.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weisgerber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Husmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frosch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rheinheimer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peuckert
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Görgen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bitter-Suermann
mesh_terms: D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000276:immunology; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D012794:Sialic Acids
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D007106:Immune Sera; D012794:Sialic Acids; C038718:neural cell surface antigen BSP-2