title: Expression of phosphorylated high molecular weight neurofilament protein (NF-H) and vimentin in human developing dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord.
abstract: The expression of vimentin and the phosphorylated variant of high molecular weight neurofilament protein (NF-H) was studied in developing human fetal dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord. The technique used for examination of cryosections was double-label fluorescence with monoclonal antibodies. Both proteins were present in the nerve fibres inside the ganglia of 6- and 8-week-old embryos. During further development the expression of vimentin continued to increase in the satellite cells, but was found to be decreasing in the ganglion cells. Phosphorylated NF-H was found in the processes of ganglion cells, as well as in the perikarya at all developmental stages. In the spinal cord of 6- and 8-week-old embryos, phosphorylated NF-H protein was found in the longitudinal fibres of the marginal layer and in processes of the mantle zone; some of the fibres also contained vimentin. Later the co-expression of the two proteins ceased and vimentin was found only in glial and mesenchymal derivatives. Phosphorylated NF-H was located, at all developmental stages, in the axons of both white and grey matter, but not in the neuronal perikarya. The results indicate that phosphorylation of the NF-H in human dorsal root ganglia starts in the perikarya of the ganglion cells while in the ganglion cells of the spinal cord it takes place in the axons.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty of Masaryk University, Children's hospital, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lukás
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dráber
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bucek
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dráberová
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Viklický
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dolezel
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; C051774:neurofilament protein H