title: Alpha N-catenin expression in the normal and regenerating chick sciatic nerve.
abstract: The Ca(2+)-dependent intercellular adhesion molecule cadherin is known to be linked to the cytoskeleton by the protein catenin, an association of which appears to be important for the cell-adhesion function of cadherin. Catenin consists of three subtypes-alpha, beta, and gamma. In our previous study, N-cadherin was shown to be localized on the plasmalemma of normal and regenerating chick peripheral nerve. Thus, as alpha N-catenin is a subtype of alpha-catenin (which is specifically associated with N-cadherin), we investigated the immunolocalization of alpha N-catenin in normal and regenerating chick sciatic nerve. In normal nerve, unmyelinated axons exhibited either intense or weak alpha N-catenin immunoreactivity throughout the axoplasm, whereas myelinated axons were completely immunonegative. Regenerating axons, including those derived from parent myelinated axons, showed alpha N-catenin immunoreactivity of variable intensities in growth cones and axon shafts. Schwann cells were invariably devoid of immunoreactivity. Thus alpha N-catenin is not necessarily bound to the surface plasmalemma, but is distributed throughout the cytoplasm, suggesting that most alpha N-catenin molecules are dissociated from N-cadherin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomatsuri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizoguchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeichi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ide
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002645:Chickens; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000378:metabolism; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051178:alpha Catenin
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051178:alpha Catenin