title: Binding between the neural cell adhesion molecules axonin-1 and Nr-CAM/Bravo is involved in neuron-glia interaction.
abstract: Neural cell adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily mediate cellular interactions via homophilic binding to identical molecules and heterophilic binding to other family members or structurally unrelated cell-surface glycoproteins. Here we report on an interaction between axonin-1 and Nr-CAM/Bravo. In search for novel ligands of axonin-1, fluorescent polystyrene microspheres conjugated with axonin-1 were found to bind to peripheral glial cells from dorsal root ganglia. By antibody blockage experiments an axonin-1 receptor on the glial cells was identified as Nr-CAM. The specificity of the interaction was confirmed with binding studies using purified axonin-1 and Nr-CAM. In cultures of dissociated dorsal root ganglia antibodies against axonin-1 and Nr-CAM perturbed the formation of contacts between neurites and peripheral glial cells. Together, these results implicate a binding between axonin-1 of the neuritic and Nr-CAM of the glial cell membrane in the early phase of axon ensheathment in the peripheral nervous system.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D058969:Contactin 2; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D016023:Integrins / Q000502:physiology; D008863:Microspheres; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016501:Neurites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C548674:CNTN2 protein, human; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D058969:Contactin 2; D017931:DNA Primers; D016023:Integrins; C491152:NRCAM protein, human