Y. Qin et Tn. Sato, MOUSE MULTIDRUG-RESISTANCE 1A 3 GENE IS THE EARLIEST KNOWN ENDOTHELIAL-CELL DIFFERENTIATION MARKER DURING BLOOD-BRAIN-BARRIER DEVELOPMENT/, Developmental dynamics, 202(2), 1995, pp. 172-180
Molecular mechanisms of endothelial cell differentiation during blood-
brain barrier (BBB) development is not well understood due to the lack
of specific molecular markers. Here we describe that expression of th
e mouse multidrug resistance 1a/3 (mdr1 alpha/3) gene can be detected
specifically in subsets of vascular endothelial cells associated with
neural tissues at as early as embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5). This onset o
f mdr1 alpha/3 gene expression coincides with the previously described
first appearance of morphologically distinct endothelial cells in neu
ral tissues during BBB development. To our knowledge, the mdr1 alpha/3
gene is the earliest endothelial cell differentiation marker gene dur
ing BBB development described thus far. In addition, we have found tha
t neither the level nor pattern of mdr1 alpha/3 gene expression in BBB
endothelial cells is affected by aberrant cortical neuronal layers in
mutant mouse reeler. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.