title: Differentiation-dependent sialylation of individual neural cell adhesion molecule polypeptides during postnatal development.
abstract: The postnatal sialylation of individual neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) polypeptides by a developmentally regulated sialyltransferase in Golgi-enriched fractions isolated from rat brain is described. The 120-kilodalton polypeptide of N-CAM was found to be sialylated at each developmental age examined. This was in contrast to the 140- and 180-kilodalton N-CAM polypeptides which were only sialylated until postnatal day 10 and from postnatal day 12, respectively. Immunoblotting procedures demonstrated that all N-CAM polypeptides were expressed in the Golgi fractions at each developmental stage examined. The heavily sialylated "embryonic" form of N-CAM was found to be reexpressed at postnatal days 10 and 12, a time coincident with extensive fibre outgrowth. The "embryonic" form of N-CAM incorporated similar amounts of [14C]sialic acid into its constituent polypeptides reflecting the difference in sialic acid to protein ratio, as this form of N-CAM was virtually undetectable in the immunoblots of postnatal material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University College, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Breen
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Regan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D009479:Neuropeptides; D012794:Sialic Acids; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid