title: Up-regulated expression of decay-accelerating factor (CD55) confers increased complement resistance to sprouting neural cells.
abstract: We studied gene expression in relation to induced neural differentiation in a human neural crest-derived cell line, Paju. Messenger RNA isolated before and after treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate was analyzed by differential display reverse transcription PCR. A strongly up-regulated expression of decay-accelerating factor (DAF, CD55) was found to parallel the induced neural sprouting while the expression of two other complement regulatory proteins (CD59/protectin, CD46/membrane cofactor protein) remained unaltered during neural differentiation. The increased membrane expression of DAF, which was also seen on neural processes and growth cones, conferred elevated resistance to complement-mediated lysis. Our findings suggest that in sprouting neurons DAF expression is up-regulated to provide additional complement resistance to pathfinding axons/dendrites invading new environment. It is also suggested that membrane expression of DAF may constitute a marker of growing and regenerating neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: K Z
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Junnikkala
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Erlander
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Westberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meri
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D018958:CD55 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D018958:CD55 Antigens; D002273:Carcinogens; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate