L. Simonneau et al., CADHERIN-11 EXPRESSION MARKS THE MESENCHYMAL PHENOTYPE - TOWARDS NEW FUNCTIONS FOR CADHERINS, Cell adhesion and communication, 3(2), 1995, pp. 115-130
Cadherin-11 (cad-11) belongs to the cell adhesion type II cadherin fam
ily which seems to have different functions from the classic cadherin
family. This study shows the overall pattern of cad-11 gene expression
during rat embryonic development, from the pregastrula to very late e
mbryonic stage. Cad-11 is the first cadherin found to be highly expres
sed in the dispersed and migrating mesenchymal cells that originate fr
om the neuroectodermal neural crest cells and from the pre-chordal and
paraxial mesoderm. A burst of cad-11 expression appears during the ep
ithelial to mesenchymal transition, as observed by sclerotome formatio
n. Cad-11 mRNAs were present in all mesenchymal cells throughout the e
mbryo, regardless of their embryonic origin. A proximo-distal and ante
ro-posterior gradient of cad-11 expression is seen in the limb buds, g
enitalia, and tail. As development proceeds, while all epithelium are
negative, cad-11 is present in all mesenchymal cells involved in vario
us morphogenetic events, such as the mesenchyme condensations during c
hondrogenesis and in the formation of sclera, cornea, naris, palate an
d meninges. Cad-11 was strongly expressed in mesenchyme during lung or
kidney branching morphogenesis or the many epithelium to mesenchyme i
nductions that operate in the nasal septum, skin, vibrissae, teeth and
various glands. High levels of cad-11 transcripts were also found in
the dispersed cells of the hyaloid plexus in the vitreous body and in
the invading mesenchyme within the trabeculae of the outflow tract of
the heart. Cad-11 is thus specific to the mesenchymal phenotype whatev
er the stage of embryonic development.