F. Bosse et al., Cellular localization of the disintegrin CRII-7/rMDC15 mRNA in rat PNS andCNS and regulated expression in postnatal development and after nerve injury, GLIA, 32(3), 2000, pp. 313-327
Disintegrins perform putative functions in cell adhesion, signaling and fus
ion. We have isolated a 2815-bp rat cDNA (CRII-7) representing a transcript
that is differentially expressed during sciatic nerve regeneration. Nucleo
tide sequence comparison indicates that CRII-7 is the rat homologue to the
recently cloned cDNAs MDC15 (ADAM 15) and metargidin (hMDC15) of mouse and
human, respectively. The CRII-7 cDNA (rMDC15) encodes a membrane-anchored g
lycoprotein of approximately 85 kDa containing a disintegrin and a metallop
rotease domain. Cellular metalloprotease disintegrins are a family of prote
ins (ADAMs or MDC proteins) with important roles, e.g., in cell-cell intera
ctions during fertilization, muscle and nerve development, or tumor necrosi
s factor-or (TNF-cw) cleavage. Northern blot analysis demonstrated a predom
inant expression of CRII-7/rMDC15 in the nervous system (PNS and CNS) and l
ung. Analysis of the CRII-7/rMDC15 transcript levels following peripheral n
erve lesions demonstrated regulated mRNA expression during Wallerian degene
ration and nerve regeneration. The steady-state levels of CRII-7/rMDC15 tra
nscripts markedly increased within the first day after lesion and then stea
dily decreased for at least 4 weeks. CRII-7/rMDC15 mRNA expression was furt
her examined during postnatal development and maturation of rat sciatic ner
ve and brain, as well as in cultured Schwann cells, meningeal fibroblasts,
and astrocytes. In situ hybridization on paraffin sections showed the cellu
lar localization of CRII-7/rMDC15 mRNA in Schwann cells and endothelial cel
ls of peripheral nerve and in various neuronal populations in brain and spi
nal cord. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.