title: Differential expression of alpha-E-catenin and alpha-N-catenin in the developing cerebral cortex.
abstract: Alpha (alpha) catenin proteins can regulate both cell adhesion and cell proliferation. Here, we characterize the expression of two forms of alpha-catenin, alphaE-catenin and alphaN-catenin, in the developing cerebral cortex and primary cortical cultures. In situ hybridization and immunofluorescence studies reveal that alphaE-catenin is highly expressed in neuroepithelial precursor cells in the developing cortical ventricular zone, with markedly reduced expression in the cortical plate; in contrast, alphaN-catenin expression is low in the ventricular zone and high in the developing cortical plate. In the ventricular zone, immunoreactivity for both alphaE-catenin and alphaN-catenin is enriched in rings at the lumenal surface, reflecting localization at adherens junctions together with beta-catenin. Expression of alphaE-catenin in primary cortical precursor cultures is initially robust, but declines as neural precursors differentiate into neurons. Reflecting its expression pattern in vivo, alphaN-catenin is expressed in both neural precursors as well in neurons differentiated in culture. These differential expression patterns of alphaE-catenin and alphaN-catenin suggest both distinct and overlapping functions during cortical development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave., Ward 3-190, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Adam M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Stocker
authors.forename: Anjen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chenn
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D051178:alpha Catenin / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D014404:Tubulin; D051178:alpha Catenin; D051176:beta Catenin; C462941:beta3 tubulin, mouse