Expression of CD15 in a subset of dorsal root ganglion cells during the chick embryonic development.
We have investigated the distribution of CD15 immunoreactivity (IR) in chick sensory neurons during the embryonic development. IR first appeared around embryonic day 6 (E6) preferentially in the lateroventral part of the dorsal root ganglion (drg). Here it was located in the cytoplasm of the ganglion cells. Starting at E11, CD15 positive cells have been detected also in the dorsomedial part of the drug. Towards the end of embryonic development, these immunoreactive (ir) cells were evenly distributed within the drg. Around E 16 nerve fibres could also be found, expressing the CD15 epitope. These fibres run both in centripetal and centrifugal direction, and could be followed throughout peripheral nerves. IR was confined to peripheral nerves of the skin, where after its subepidermal arborisation fine nerve terminals entered the basal stratum of the epidermis or the dermal bulbous part of feathers. Until hatching no staining in visceral structures was detected. Our results suggest that CD15 is restricted to a subset of drg neurons innervating somatosensory targets. A role for the CD15 epitope for myelination is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000166:cytology*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000737:chemistry*; D012867:Skin / Q000196:embryology / Q000294:innervation
D016256:Lewis X Antigen