Spatiotemporal distribution and function of N-cadherin in postnatal Schwann cells: A matter of adhesion?
During embryonic development of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the adhesion molecule neuronal cadherin (N-cadherin) is expressed by Schwann cell precursors and associated with axonal growth cones. N-cadherin expression levels decrease as precursors differentiate into Schwann cells. In this study, we investigated the distribution of N-cadherin in the developing postnatal and adult rat peripheral nervous system. N-cadherin was found primarily in ensheathing glia throughout development, concentrated at neuron-glial or glial-glial contacts of the sciatic nerve, dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and myenteric plexi. In the sciatic nerve, N-cadherin decreases with age and progress of myelination. In adult animals, N-cadherin was found exclusively in nonmyelinating Schwann cells. The distribution of N-cadherin in developing E17 DRG primary cultures is similar to what was observed in vivo. Functional studies of N-cadherin in these cultures, using the antagonist peptide INPISGQ, show a disruption of the attachment between Schwann cells, but no interference in the initial or long-term contact between Schwann cells and axons. We suggest that N-cadherin acts primarily in the adhesion between glial cells during postnatal development. It may form adherents/junctions between nonmyelinating glia, which contribute to the stable tubular structure encapsulating thin caliber axons and thus stabilize the nerve structure as a whole.
Corell
Mikael
M
Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Developmental Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Wicher
Grzegorz
G
Limbach
Christoph
C
Kilimann
Manfred W
MW
Colman
David R
DR
Fex Svenningsen
Åsa
Å
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015820:Cadherins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
D015820:Cadherins