title: Neural cell adhesion molecules in rodent brains isolated by monoclonal antibodies with cross-species reactivity.
abstract: Previous studies in this laboratory have led to the identification and purification of a chicken cell surface protein named "neural cell adhesion molecule" (N-CAM) that is involved in neural cell-cell and neurite-neurite interactions. In the present investigation, we have found that a similar molecule exists in the mouse and have confirmed that it is also present in rat neural tissue. A monoclonal antibody to chicken N-CAM that crossreacted with mouse and rat brains and an independently derived monoclonal antibody to mouse N-CAM were used to purify an antigen from perinatal mouse and rat brains. The purified neural antigen resembles chicken N-CAM in its ability to neutralize antibodies that inhibit neural cell aggregation and also in its biochemical properties including molecular weight, sialic acid content, amino acid composition, and autoconversion to a smaller polypeptide. Like chicken N-CAM, the murine molecule is found throughout the nervous system and over the entire neuronal cell surface. These results strongly suggest that the molecule is evolutionarily related to chicken N-CAM and prompt the hypothesis that cell adhesion involving N-CAM is a fundamental mechanism existing in nervous systems of different phylogenetic classes of animals.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000941:Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000941:Antigens; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules