Fetal Brain Subdivisions Defined by R- and E-Cadherin Expressions: Evidence for the Role of Cadherin Activity in Region-Specific, Cell–Cell Adhesion

摘要

WefoundthatR-cadherin,aCasup2+/sup-dependentcellndash;celladhesionmolecule,isexpressedinrestrictedregionsofthemousefetalbrain,aswasfoundforE-cadherinpreviously.R-cadherindelineatedasubsetofalardomainswithinforebrainneuromeresandcertainfuturenuclei,whileE-cadherinwasexpressedinanotherdistinctivepattern.Whencellswerecollectedfromvariouslocalregionsofthefetalbrain,dissociated,andreaggregatedundertheconditionsinwhichonlycadherinsareactiveforcellaggregation,R-cadherin-positiveand-negativecellssegregatedfromoneanother.SimilarresultswereobtainedforE-cadherin.Suchsegregationofcellswas,however,suppressedwhenthecadherinswereinactivatedeitherbyCasup2+/supdepletionorwithblockingantibodies.Theseresultssuggestthatcadherinsconferregion-specificadhesivenessonfetalbraincellsandthatthisprocessmaytakepartinbrainsegmentation./p/div